


The Dark is Before the Dawn

by essencede



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, Begging, Blindfolds, Body Worship, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Character Development, Cunnilingus, Dom Catra (She-Ra), F/F, Fingering, Gen, Gentle Sex, Guilt, Hero Complex, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Sex, Light Dom/sub, Loving Sex, Making Out, More portals, Smut, Sub Adora (She-Ra), The girls get therapy!, Trauma, after the series, smut in chapter 6 (warnings included), they’re both switches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:49:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28031175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/essencede/pseuds/essencede
Summary: Four months after the defeat of Horde Prime, the girls are working through their relationship and their trauma. There will be bumps along the road and more adventures to come. The universe and Etheria has a lot in store for them.Will Catra’s guilt get the best of her? Will Adora’s hero complex get the best of her? What is happening to Etheria?
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), All other relationships, Minor Bow/Glimmer - Relationship, minor background relationships - Relationship
Comments: 41
Kudos: 117





	1. Introduction

It’s been four months since the end of the war and a month since the trial, where Catra, Hordak, and many force captains were tried for their war crimes. Due to Catra’s allegiance to the Princess Alliance and Bright Moon, her friendship with the queen and She-Ra, she was let off pretty easy. Basically, all she has to do is keep working on herself: seek help and heal. Due to her high rank in the Horde, when she’s ready, she’s also supposed to work alongside the queen and help make. Whether those plans are protecting the castle, the cities, or rebuilding, it just depends on the situation.

She was ready pretty soon after the trial, getting bored pretty quickly. Though her and Adora did enjoy their week off. Catra wasn’t ready to work in anything military related, being so sick of fighting, so her and Adora stuck with rebuilding. 

Force captains that didn’t pledge their allegiance to Bright Moon were arrested and jailed, while many were given punishments and community service. Very few chose not to accept these terms. Ten were jailed out of forty force captains.

Hordak was much harder to deal with, but it wasn’t because of him, it was because of Entrapta and the fact that they didn’t know how to punish him. Hordak remained calm though the whole ordeal and said he would accept the terms. 

Entrapta fought and argued for him, saying he could help with rebuilding, and honestly, the planet needed the help. So, the deal was that Hordak gives up the Fright Zone to live in Dryl with Entrapta. In Dryl, he would be watched by a select few Bright Moon guards and he would not be allowed to leave. Entrapta and him accepted the terms immediately.

There was some disagreement, but it would be a waste to imprison Hordak and not take his knowledge, and put it towards something positive. Especially since he was willing and Entrapta defended him so passionately. After some protests and tension, people gave in and since then, life has been pretty peaceful. Most people are focused on rebuilding. 

Many of the clones that arrived on Etheria died from their disconnect to Horde Prime or committed suicide, feeling lost, while many were like Wrong Hordak and struggled to find a purpose. Many of them accepted names and lived around Etheria, spreading across different kingdoms or creating their own small towns of clones. 

Catra and Adora avoid such towns. They don’t have the time for them either. Honestly, seeing a clone still makes Catra jump. Since she avoids Hordak, she avoids Dryl in turn, and rarely sees Wrong Hordak, so it’s not a problem anymore. She’ll see them in the corner of her eye from time to time while rebuilding but she hasn’t interacted with one in a while. 

Warm, strong arms wrap around her torso, making Catra jump and forget all her reflections. Her heart rate increases, her claws extnending. It takes a minute to recognize those strong arms and calm down.

“What are you thinking about?” Adora asks sweetly, pressing a kiss to the back of Catra’s ear.

“Just everything. I’m so fucking lucky, Adora.” Catra grabs Adora’s hands and squeezes them. Adora squeezes just a little bit tighter. 

Catra sits at their shared desk, just scribbling thoughts down on a piece of paper, her private way of coping. She’s too nervous to try therapy yet, so she took Perfuma’s suggestion to just write her thoughts down. 

Adora respectfully doesn’t glance at the paper, instead she continues to pepper kisses across Catra’s head and ears. Catra lets out a cheerful purr, making her girlfriend smile. She nuzzles back into her touches, her heart racing happily.

“We are,” Adora finally agrees, pausing her affections. “You ready to go soon?”

“To see Perfuma and Scorpia?” Catra checks and Adora hums in confirmation. “Mhm,” the feline hums before losing her purr. 

Her tail twitches, moving around nervously. Adora notices this and presses her lips together before speaking gently.

“It’s okay to be nervous. I sucked at meditation.” She rubs at Catra’s ears.

“Oh, I bet. You can’t sit still,” Catra teases lightly, standing up and motioning her head to their bed. 

Adora follows and they sit down on the edge, side by side, pressed up against each other. Catra leans into her girlfriend’s neck, breathing in her soothing and familiar scent. It’s changed since the Fright Zone, since she uses different soaps and all, but a lot of her smell which is just plain Adora remains. 

She pulls away and then makes eye contact with her lover. “I’m not nervous about sucking at meditation though.” Adora nods her head. She furrows her eyebrows. “I’m still nervous to see Scorpia, even though I’ve apologized multiple times. I just don’t think it’s enough.”

“She’s forgiven you, but yeah, I understand. Just keep getting better and work on yourself. It makes Scorpia and everyone happy,” Adora says gently, rubbing circles on her girlfriend’s back.

“I’m also nervous to share my thoughts with Perfuma or that meditation won’t work,” she rants and holds her hands back from ruffling her own hair in frustration. “And I’m scared to be alone with my thoughts,” Catra shyly adds, her voice cracking. 

“So we’ll keep trying different things. Therapy is the next step, right?” Catra nods. “So we’ll try that when you’re ready. Also, the point of meditation is to clear your thoughts, so maybe they’ll go away for a bit. You’ll be with Perfuma too, so you won’t be alone with them.” Adora kisses her girlfriend’s cheek, going back to play with her ears. “We’re all here for you and we’re proud.”

“I haven’t made much progress.”

“Shush,” Adora insists. She wraps an arm around her girlfriend, holding her close.

“I haven’t, babe.” 

“Yes, you have. You’re not having nightmares every night, you’re talking out your feelings, and you’re not as angry. I’m so fucking proud.” Adora rarely swears, so the fact that she did while saying she’s proud makes Catra purr.

“That’s just being a basic human being,” Catra argues, raising an eyebrow. 

“Not really, everyone struggles with something. I struggle with my emotions too, you know that.”

“I know...”

“Okay, we should get going so you stop overthinking. Otherwise, we’ll be stuck here forever.” Catra nods her head and chuckles. 

“Alright.” 

Adora stands up with a proud smile across her lips, meeting her eyes. She holds her hand out for Catra to take, and she does.

“You’re not alone,” the blonde assures.

***

Shortly, they arrive in Perfuma's kingdom and are greeted by waves from those around. Perfuma's people live cheerfully after this mess. Some meditate in the distance, some are collecting berries, some take care of the plants. Many flowers and shrubs cover the area. Beautiful and bright plants surround the village. These many details bring warmth to Catra’s chest.

They arrive at the small cottage the couple lives in and Catra feels her stomach clench. She trusts Adora and her advice, and she trusts Perfuma to guide her, but she's scared. She's scared it won't work and that she won't find it in her heart to forgive herself. She honestly doesn't understand how everyone forgave her so fast, but she's grateful.

"You ready?" Adora asks and Catra nods.

Adora knocks on the door and calls for the couple. An excited Perfuma opens up the door to their cute cottage and pulls the other couple inside.

"Welcome, welcome!" She cheers and pushes them further indoors.

Their cottage is warm, a little hot for Catra, with her fur and all, but maybe it's just the anxiety adding to that. Catra notices the decent sized potted cactus by the door. She then looks around the rest of the house. The walls are white, but they're covered by shelves and some artwork done by Scorpia. Looking at the artwork, Catra can see that her buddy has made some improvement. That little detail alone makes Catra smile. She’s happy Scorpia can finally indulge in herself. Without the war, she continues doing what makes her happy. At the thought of Scorpia, the friendly woman runs over and traps them both in a hug. Catra hugs her back with one arm and a laugh. So does Adora.

Catra notices the outfit change and the confidence Scorpia exudes. She wears a cute, pastel pink sundress, with short sleeves. It contrasts Perfuma’s light green, sleeveless sundress..

Catra smiles a little wider, seeing how much Scorpia and Perfuma’s lives have improved. Of all people, they deserve this. They are some of the kindest—if not the most kind—people Catra has met.

"Your place is so cute," Adora comments with a bright smile as she's let down.

"Thank you!" Scorpia and Perfuma say in unison.

"Yeah, I like it," Catra adds, rubbing the back of her neck.

“We’re glad you guys made it here,” Scorpia replies cheerfully, clapping her claws together.

"So, would you guys like some tea? Scorpia makes a nice calming cup of tea,” Perfuma offers as Scorpia nods her head.

“Family recipe,” she adds shyly. 

“Or would you like to start with our first meditation session?” Perfuma asks, the excitement clear in her voice, which raises a couple pitches. Her expression is gentle: flushed cheeks and a big, proud smile. “No rush though,” She adds with a kind look.

“Um,” the feline ponders for a second and looks at her girlfriend for an answer.

“It’s your decision. Whatever you want to do,” Adora replies, placing her hand on Catra’s back and assuring her with a smile.

“I’ll start with the meditation, unless you want to have tea, Perfuma,” she replies and the princess nods her head excitedly, clapping her hands.

“I had some this morning, so I’m okay. Alright, let’s go in the backyard.” Perfuma points towards the back door.

“I’m proud of you,” Adora whispers in Catra’s ear as she takes her hand off of her back. She pecks her cheek.

Catra just smiles with a slight blush on her cheeks. “See you in a bit, princess,” she says in a flirty voice, similar to how she would’ve back a few months ago. Through, now, the words are said much softer, more affectionate.

Her eyes are different too. There’s no mask hiding the affection they share. Adora smiles widely, that dumb smile that Catra loves to pieces.

“Dummy,” she whispers under her breath. It’s barely even audible.

“Go, wildcat!” Scorpia cheers with a laugh. Catra hesitates before she takes Perfum’s hand. The platinum-haired lady then turns to her other guest. “Tea, Adora?” Scorpia asks and Adora gives her a thumbs up.

“Sure, thanks.”

***

Life in the Horde was dark. Hopeless. Lives there are riddled with pain and abuse. It breaks people. It causes corruption. Sick, disgusting people in power hurting those under them. Honestly, it broke them. Their trauma, their issues, their blind allegiance, their abusive, shared guardian; all of it is because of the Horde. 

There was some choice though, obviously. Catra made her choice, to stay and to concur, to rip up Adora’s with her claws and leave her mark on her back permanently. Adora may blame herself for the destruction of their relationship because of her absence, leaving Catra behind as if she was an afterthought, but Catra knows she had a hand in it. 

She pulled the lever, opened the portal and killed Angella. She kidnapped Bow and Glimmer. She abused her close friends, sending Entrapta to Beast Island, threatening to do the same to Scorpia, and hurting so many others. 

There were days when Catra just wanted to give up. There were days she couldn’t stomach meals and silently hoped she would die of starvation. Though most moments, like she did in childhood, she fought back and lived. She didn’t know what she was living for though. 

Was she happy? No.

What was her goal after she conquered everything? She didn’t know. Maybe capture Adora. 

It always led back to Adora. Maybe she stayed alive so long just so she could keep seeing Adora, even if it was on the other side of the battlefield. 

Before the end of the war, Catra didn’t know what she was living for, though in the back of the mind she knew. 

Blonde hair. Bright blue eyes. A stupid hair poof. Strong, broad shoulders. Strong, toned arms. Flushed cheeks. A kind voice. A vibrant smile which always made Catra’s heart race. Details which always grounded her. Made her fall in love. 

Back then, she had nothing. Now she has something. She has goals. She wants a future. A future with her new friends, to repair her relationships, and most importantly, a future with Adora. 

***

It’s hard for Catra to focus throughout the meditation and she has to stop a couple times, her thoughts getting the best of her and Perfuma’s words not registering. Perfuma grabs her hand and assures her, with gentle words and praises. 

Eventually, she’s able to meditate for ten minutes straight, counting her breaths, listening to Perfuma. Perfuma slowly coaxes her out of her calm state, telling her she can open her eyes when she feels like it. She gently congratulates her when she opens up her eyes and herself to the outside world again.

“You did it,” Perfuma cheers her on, even though her voice is gentle, the feline can hear the excitement buzzing in it.

“Thank you,” Catra says softly, her face flushing and her ears flattening just a smidge. Perfuma shrugs.

“Thank you, Catra,” she responds. “How do you feel?”

“The most relaxed I’ve felt in a while, besides when I’m with Adora.” Her ears perk up again.

“Do you think this is a good coping mechanism for you?” Perfuma questions, tilting her head a little.

“Um, I don’t know. If I’m in the middle of a panic attack, uh…” She motions with her hands awkwardly before shrugging.

“You shouldn’t expect to meditate in the middle of a crisis, but you can learn breathing techniques and ways to ground yourself that can help you during them.”

“Oh, okay, I’m good if you teach me that. And I like meditating, actually, if you’ll have me,” Catra replies shyly, kneading her thighs, gripping bits of her leggings between the tips of her fingers.

“Of course, I’d love to.” She lowers her voice, “And your visits will make Scorpia very happy.” She smiles, pausing for a second. “Now, let’s get back to our girlfriends and celebrate your progress!” The blonde giggles and stands up, holding out her hand, which Catra gladly takes. She lets herself smile back. “You up to go back inside or do you need a moment?”

She shakes her head and lets the princess take her back inside. The door opens and they step in. Scorpia and Adora turn their heads from the kitchen table. Perfuma smiles at them, giving them an excited thumbs up, looking like a proud mother. 

"How do you feel?" Adora asks and stands up. 

"Better," Catra admits, nodding her head and twirling a bit of her around a claw. 

"She did good today. We meditated for almost ten minutes,” the other blonde updates everyone, her wavy hair bouncing as she expresses her happiness.

"Wow, that sounds tough. I don't think I could last that long." Adora shakes her head, rubbing her neck as she chuckles.

"I barely lasted five," Scorpia admits and rubs the back of her neck, her cheeks pinkening. 

"Yeah, I tried to relax on Mystacor and it was tough for me," Adora adds.

“Did you relax at all?” Catra asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“...No.”

"Well, she did great her first day," the flower princess compliments their feline friend. "Would you two like to stay for dinner?"

"I don't want to intrude," Catra begins, raising her hands up. The couple shakes their heads. 

"You are not. Stay, it'll be fun," Scorpia insists as Perfuma walks over to her, leaning into her taller girlfriend's side. 

"You up for it, princess?" Catra asks and Adora nods cheerfully. Her eyes seem to sparkle a little.

"Sure, we'll stay," Adora says.

Catra notices that her platinum blonde friend has that same sparkle. She’s fighting hard not to run over and smother them both in a hug. Catra notices she’s practically vibrating in her spot. The brunette huffs out a sigh and covers up her smile with her hand, and motions for the other couple to hug them.

Adora wraps an arm around Catra as the other two join. 

All seems well. 

***

A few days later, Catra is out with Perfuma, meditating and possibly sharing her feelings, Adora sits in their shared bedroom, right in front of the mirror. She avoids eye contact with her reflection. The door is locked, leaving Adora to herself. Usually, she hates moments like these. Back during the war, when she was alone as She-Ra, Swift Wind was at her side or Light Hope was guiding her. She was rarely alone with her thoughts. That was mostly at night and even then, she would sneak out to train. She wouldn’t sit in silence like this, studying her body.

She had less scars. Well, she always had scars. Training and fighting from when you can walk leads to scars and injuries, but she, one hundred percent, had less. 

The scars on her back from the Battle of Bright Moon used to be her least favorite scars and while she isn’t the biggest fan of them, she doesn’t care about them. They’re there. Those feelings, for the most part, are in the past. She has Catra by her side. The scar she currently dislikes the most is the scar from the Heart. It’s a strange scar. It sticks up out of her skin and it’s smaller than the image was. It’s noticeable. It’s there but it doesn’t hurt. She’s only reminded when she changes or when she thinks about it. 

She hesitates before bringing her hand to the scar, rubbing it softly. The touch doesn’t do anything so she drops her fingers back into her lap. 

She’s glad this war is over. She’s grateful for this life she has. Because of the scar, because of the Heart’s power, she was able to save the universe. But she almost died. 

Oddly enough, the moment she was dying was peaceful. Her eyelids became heavy. So heavy. So she finally let them rest as she fell into eternal sleep. She was in the arms of her beloved. It felt sweet. Blissful. It was the least stressed she had felt in a while. The moment after she almost died, her and Catra shared their first kiss. It was a scary moment, yet it was beautiful and peaceful at the same time. Her power, her love, her life, all came back to her in those moments. It was a rush, yet it still was peaceful. She always feels at peace with her beloved. 

She doesn’t know how to feel about this scar or that moment. She yanks her shirt and bra up from next to her, and slips them on. She can’t see the scar anymore but the stress and confusion it brings her still lingers.

She remembers what Mara said, the words echoing in her mind. She is enough. She is enough. 

Right? 

She lets out a sigh and summons She-Ra, the feeling of warmth, control and power taking over. It calms the beat of her quick heart. It’s time to go help rebuild. In the back of her mind, Adora wonders, what good is she if there’s no big enemy for her to defeat? What good will she be once there’s nothing to rebuild? 

What if those planets they plan on visiting truly don’t need her? What if her friends don’t need…?

What does she want? Does it matter? Does she matter anymore?

Is Mara right? Is she worth something? 

Her skin crawls. She feels like she’s outside of her body. Every second that passes feels ten times quicker yet slower at the same time. Each breath she takes is heavy. Foreign.

Shit. Shit. Shit. 

Adora makes eye contact with herself, with She-Ra, confirming she is outside of her body. She does her best to ground herself, sticking her nails in her palms. She clenches tighter and tighter, making crescents appear, producing a sting. She huffs and continues to make eye contact, taking in the details of her form. 

She turns away and makes her way out of the bedroom. She can’t think about this. She has work to do.


	2. Tremors

Catra wakes up before Adora, which is very rare, so she decides to glance down at her girlfriend, brushing her bangs from her face, and smiling softly. The blonde snores quietly, her head rested up against Catra’s chest. The sound would be annoying to most, but it’s always been soothing to her, reminding her she’s not alone. She purrs loudly before lowering the noise. She hears a chirp not far from them.

She looks and sees a cheerful Melog, purring softly. They walk over, their mane a nice, calm blue. A similar shade to Adora’s eyes.

“Hey, buddy,” Catra whispers and pats their head, eliciting more purrs from both of them.

Everything is calm and perfect; Catra and her two favorite people in the world, all safe and cuddled up in bed. Until, the blonde begins to whimper, her beautiful face scrunching up and her chest rising and falling quickly. Catra can weakly feel her pounding heart. Her girlfriend curls up, furrowing her eyebrows. 

“Babe, babe,” the feline calls out to her, with Melog joining her in calling out to the woman with meek meows. She gently grips Adora’s shoulders, shaking her but not too roughly. “Adora, it’s a dream,” she raises her voice.

Their room quakes. It’s mild, but they all feel it. Melog and Catra make eye contact for a second before she continues struggling to wake up Adora.

—

Adora struggles to breathe. Her dream terrifies her. It leaves her cold and heaving.

Images of Catra dying in her arms. Her body is becoming colder and colder. Her body still. Completely still.

Catra is rarely still. There’s always something moving, her tail, a finger tapping something. Something. 

In those moments, the feline gives her nothing. No rise and fall of her chest. 

She cries out to Catra, tears down pouring down her cheeks, blurring her vision. She tries to heal her but it’s no use. Nothing. Nothing.

Fucking nothing. 

The world around her blurs, taking her to another painful memory. Next, she’s at the Heart and instead of dying peacefully, it’s painful. It’s for nothing. 

The Heart doesn’t properly activate, saving everyone. Instead, it kills her. Burns her alive. And Etheria is left without its goddess, its savior, and their last option has failed.

Catra’s gone. Everyone is gone. She’s gone.

She failed.

She is nothing.

She hears Catra’s voice and soon, Adora’s eyes rip open and she almost pulls away, until she realizes it’s Catra and grabs onto her for dear life. She fists Catra’s pajama shirt, her knuckles turning white. Once she’s fully awake, the tremor ends and Catra hums.

It wasn’t real, but the dream leaves her sick and shivering. She holds onto Catra for dear life, tries to feel her warmth. She’s alive. She’s here. Adora didn’t fail.

“It’s okay, babe,” Catra whispers, running her hands through blonde waves. “I got you.”

Adora begins to calm down but her whole body aches. It’s been getting like that lately, reacting to the new waves of magic spreading throughout Etheria. Due to her connection to the Heart and therefore, Etheria, she’s affected by it. Occasionally, the runestones will act up, glowing brightly or failing to work at all, but it’s all temporary. 

Adora slows down her breathing, focusing in on the world around her; breathing in Catra’s scent, feeling her warm body up against her and feeling the soft fabric against her fingers. Slowly, she’s calm but the waves of nausea hit her, leaving her whimpering miserably.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Catra assures again. 

“I know,” she replies weakly, pushing past the nausea. “Thank you.”

“You do the same for me. You literally did it last night, babe.”

“Of course I do. I love you,” Adora admits, leaning up and kissing Catra’s neck, doing her best to avoid her pain. 

“I love you too.” 

Melog climbs up onto both of them, taking the form of a smaller kitten. They do this sometimes to snuggle between the couple when the two are sandwiched together. They brush up against her, face up against her arm, their purr vibrating against her, making her smile. Her lips tickle Catra’s neck and her breath is hot, but she remains still for her girlfriend, letting the blonde show her affection.

Adora pulls away and cups Catra’s face, kissing her soft lips. It’s sloppy but as Adora wakes up, it improves. Her pain fades slightly and the nausea goes away. All she focuses on is the warmth around her: the heat pooling in her cheeks, Catra’s body against hers, the lips against hers Melog curling up on her feet. 

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Adora gets her voice back. She glances over to Melog. She’s got her smile back. “And you too, Melog.” 

They purr up against her calf, rubbing their face against it through the blanket. Their blue eyes glow happily, with a hint of a cheerful sparkle. 

“Are you feeling better?” Catra rubs her back gently.

Yes, she is, but that headache. Damn, it’s pounding. Most of her ailments can be treated by She-Ra and she’s tried with this one, but it doesn’t work. Not when the magic of Etheria is off.

“Yup,” she lies, though it’s not a complete lie. She’s not in the middle of a panic attack anymore. Catra’s holding her. Melog is with her. What else does she need?

“Good. Are you going to go on your morning run?” Catra asks.

The feline holds out her hands for Melog and they jump into her lap happily. She pets them, giving them the attention they love. Adora joins in as she ponders the question.

She really can’t function like this, so a run isn’t happening. She shakes her head.

“No, I’d rather spend the morning with you too,” she says, which is true. She glances out their window and sees the sun is up. She got up late today. “It’s later in the morning anyway.”

“You up for breakfast?”

“Yeah, I’m starving.” Adora’s stomach growls at the mention of breakfast. She giggles shyly.

“Melog?” Catra asks, scratching behind their ears.

All Adora hears is a meow, but Catra takes it as a yes. Melog’s form changes as they jump away from the couple off the bed. Catra stands up and stretches, letting out a happy purr, her tail swaying happily. She’s so beautiful, bathing in the sunlight. She seems to glow; her fur is looking healthy without the stress of the war looming over them.

Gods, Adora loves her so much. Catra looks back and quirks an eyebrow at her girlfriend’s dopey expression.

“Are you gonna get out of bed, dummy?” 

“U-Uh, yeah.” 

She climbs out of bed, running her fingers through blonde strands. There’s a few knots which she takes care of with her fingers. She hums softly to herself, deciding to leave it down for today. Especially with her headache.

“Are we wearing our pajamas to breakfast?” Catra asks, pulling at her grey tank top gently.

“Why not?” Adora shrugs. “They’re comfy.” Catat chuckles.

“Relaxing for once, huh?” She raises an eyebrow at her partner.

“I guess so.” They share a smile. 

***

Glimmer walks into breakfast with a huge frown on her face. Bow has an arm wrapped around her, a smile on his face. Adora can tell it’s slightly forced. 

“Why’s Sparkles in a mood?” Catra immediately asks instead of greeting the other couple.

“The Moonstone,” she grumbles, plopping down in her seat. 

Adora hums in understanding. No wonder her headache is so bad, the Moonstone being so close. 

“Again? That’s twice this month,” Catra points out.

“Yeah, well, the Heart let out a shit ton of magic, so here we are,” Glimmer grumbles.

“I’ll grab all of us breakfast from the chefs. You can all relax,” Bow assures. He kisses Glimmer on the head before walking away.

“Ugh, I feel bad but I can’t teleport so work will be done less efficiently today. I’ll have to walk everywhere.” She crosses her arms and huffs.

“Wow, you’ll have to walk like the rest of us,” the feline replies. Adora covers her mouth, holding back a chuckle.

“Shut up. You have an alien cat that’ll take you anywhere.” She then points at Adora. “And you have a magical horse!”

“I didn’t say anything,” Adora replies, squinting at her.

“Just ask Bow to carry you around,” Catra jokes. “Or one of the guards.”

Glimmer rolls her eyes. “You’re so lucky you don’t have a runestone,” she says to Adora.

“I can still sense all the magic. I sense all the runestones when they’re off,” Adora argues, rubbing her temples.

“Yeah, does it hurt?” Catra asks her.

“I’m fine,” she lies. “I just...I feel a little off.”

“You can take the day off. I was considering it but the Moonstone isn’t being too bad to me.”

“No, no, I’m fine.”

Taking the day off, to be alone with her thoughts from yesterday. Did she want that? Absolutely not.

Did she want to waste the day when she could be helping people? Absolutely not.

Besides, she can’t just sit around and do nothing. She’s not made for that. She’s not like that. 

A day to simmer in her guilt? No, she can’t do that.

Her girlfriend looks her up and down, before landing on her face, studying her expression, looking for signs of discomfort. Glimmer does the same, squinting at her eyes. The blonde flushes and lets out a sigh at the attention. She does her best to remain calm and not show her much her head is hurting her. 

She gets one day off a week and even then, she feels guilty for taking it, but that’s the rule that Catra and Glimmer set for her. For her own good.

Luckily for her, Bow returns with their breakfast and updates on the reconstruction. For the rest of the meal, the attention is off her.

For the most part. Catra keeps her tail around her waist the entire time. She gives her occasional glances but she doesn’t press.

***

They’re in the war room, planning for the day. Glimmer usually stands and presents, but today she’s tired without her connection to the Moonstone, so she remains seated. Adora is too, but she pushes through it. Her thoughts are too much lately and with the guilt of missing a day of work, a day of progress, especially with Glimmer like this, the guilt would be too much. Luckily for her, her stomach doesn’t bother her again. Her body feels heavy and sore, mimicking her head. 

“We’re getting small tremors. Some of our projects have fallen apart. Other buildings have also been damaged,” General Juliet reads her report. “Like last time, the Moonstone is acting up, but unlike last time, plants are now growing quickly out from the Whispering Woods and making messes of our newly established towns.” 

Glimmer groans. “Of course when my people need me the most, I can’t teleport!” she exclaims.

“You got all of us, sweetie,” Micah replies kindly and his daughter hums.

“Don’t worry, we got this, Glim,” Adora assures, smiling gently. She then turns to Juliet. “How bad are the tremors? And are they still going?”

“I think they stopped, but we don’t know if they’ll happen again. Lucky for us, they’re minor.” 

“That’s manageable,” Catra replies. 

“It’s just a pain in the ass,” Glimmer mumbles, puffing out air. “Nothing we can do about it, except go and fix the mess. You guys are all up for it?” Glimmer aims the question at Adora, making pointed eye contact with her.

“Yes,” they all say in unison. 

“I’m fine, Glim,” Adora assures, raising up a hand to pacify her friend. 

“Are you sure you can’t fix the Moonstone? I know you’re connected to all the runestones somewhat now,” Glimmer asks, though her eyes plead for Adora to try.

“I tried to balance the planet but I didn’t connect to the runestones or anything,” Adora replies with a shrug.

“I don’t know if she should go messing with it,” Micah adds. “No one’s ever messed with it before, at least not to my knowledge.” He glances over to Juliet.

“I don’t think such a thing ever happened, not since I joined the army,” she states. 

“I-I don’t know, Glim. I don’t want to sever your connection or-or — I don’t know.” She tenses up and stutters out the words.

“If she’s uncomfortable, she’s not doing it,” Catra states with finality. She rubs Adora’s arm gently, but she looks sternly at the rest of those gathered.

“Yeah,” Adora says, immediately untensing. “I really don’t think I should be messing with it. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Glimmer shakes her head, waving her off. “I’m just desperate. I could be in town surveying this mess in two seconds but no, I’m stuck here,” she huffs, her face scrunching up.

“You’re feeling okay though, right?” Bow checks on her. He tilts his head and studies her expression.

“Just tired.” She shrugs again.

Catra grabs Adora’s hand and squeezes it, checking on her silently. Adora squeezes back and turns to her with a gentle smile. 

“I’m tired too, but it’s fine.” The blonde shrugs, meeting her eyes. 

“Sparkles said you could take the day off,” Catra reminds her gently, not pushing but suggesting. She rubs her thumb against the back of Adora’s hand.

“That’s before she found out about the tremors,” Adora argues, furrowing her eyebrows. She squeezes Catra’s hand just a bit tighter.

“They’re minor, Adora, you can take a day.”

“I already took it. Remember, I take one a week?” 

“Thank the stars you do.” 

No one is paying attention to the couple, lost in their own conversations and planning today’s reconstruction, so Catra leans over and kisses her girlfriend’s cheek. 

“If you need the break, take it, babe. I’m considering taking one after last week, so it’s completely fine and valid if you want to do so too. Okay?” She lowers her voice, meeting Adora’s eyes. There’s no judgement in them, just a bit of fear. Worry for her self sacrificing girlfriend.

Guilt makes Adora’s stomach churn. She tries to slow her breathing and slow down the annoying, heavy pounding of her heart. She nods her head and stares into her lap, needing to avoid Catra’s eyes for a minute. She’ll see right through her, she’s sure of it. She grips Catra’s hand a bit tighter. She seriously needs this day to just forget. Do something productive.

It still stings though, lying and worrying her girlfriend. She’s so sick of hurting her. They thought they were past this.

“I’m sorry I make you worry.”

She just can’t deal with her thoughts right now. Her guilt. She’s just having one of those moments where all she wants to do is punch out her feelings, or in this case, make them disappear through heavy lifting.

“Shh, shh,” Catra assures, letting out a soft purr. Adora almost happily sobs at the sound.

Gods, her girlfriend is so sweet. She’s so grateful.

And so guilty.

At the sound of her purr, Bow glances over to them. He smiles softly before returning his attention to the others.

“Alright, let’s start heading out, everyone,” General Juliet announces, making everyone turn their heads.

“I’ll have Melog stay with you and when you need to go, just tell them, okay?” Catra whispers.

“Okay,” she finally agrees.

“I’m going to check on Glim, you get a headstart with Bow,” Adora says before pecking Catra’s cheek.

“Alright, Melog’ll be waiting for you.”

Adora walks over to Glimmer and Juliet, who talk quietly together. Glimmer moves her hands a little as she speaks, showing Adora she’s deep in conversation. Still, pause and look over to the blonde, giving her the time of day. Time she doesn’t feel like she deserves at the moment.

“Are you taking the day?” Glimmer asks, resting her chin on her palm.

“No, are you?” 

“Sort of, I’m hanging back, just in case, but I’m still watching over everything.”

“You’re okay though, right?” Adora furrows her brows. She holds back the urge to press her hand to Glimmer’s forehead to check for a fever.

“For now, yeah. It’s the usual, you know?” Adora nods. “Adora, you seem...off. You can take another day off. The world is not going to end. I know the runestones affect you too after everything.” She looks away from Adora again, remembering their fight a few months ago. 

Adora bites her lip, being able to tell what her friend is worrying about. She lets out a sigh and folds her hands.

“I’m fine, really,” she tries, managing a smile. “I just...feel it. I sense things are off.” It’s the truth, she can sense it. She’s really feeling it, especially her head. 

Her head pounds and she holds back a gasp, biting her lip. She rubs her temples. “Yeah, I feel it. That had to be another tremor.”

The castle seems to shake slightly, making everyone fall silent, grabbing onto things for stability, before falling back into louder, concerned conversation.

“I didn’t know you felt the tremors,” Juliet comments, letting go of the table she used for stability. She places her hands on her hips. 

“I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure that’s what it is. Unless Glimmer is feeling something with the Moonstone.” She glances at her friend.

“No,” the queen admits.

“Interesting,” Micah hums. Adora almost jumps, forgetting he’s next to her.

The queen shakes her head. “Well, since I can’t convince you to stay, I’m going to say this. Adora, thank you for everything. If you feel overwhelmed or anything, please just come back. We won’t even ask you about it.” She leans over and pecks her cheek. “Thank you,” she repeats. 

Adora smiles shyly. “I should get going.”

“Good luck,” Glimmer and Micah say in unison.

When Adora arrives at the door, her feline friend awaits her. They rub up against her legs, making her grin.

“Let’s go, buddy.”

***

Adora pushes through the headache, the pounding lessening and worsening. The people that greet her and thank her for her service help distract her and motivate her. A castle guard joins her to survey this particular town. They ask around to see if anyone’s missing. Luckily for them, no one seems to be. 

Adora’s mind drifts back to her friends. Catra and Bow are two towns away. They’re fine, she assures herself.

All seems well. The tremors have stopped. They can move on from here and fix what’s broken. 

Some castle guards arrive to help. A few carry containers of food, while others bring supplies or just themselves. The more help the better.

One of the houses they were rebuilding has fallen apart. Most of it remains but they’re practically back at square one, maybe square two. So she gets to work.

All seems well. She doesn’t turn into She-Ra, wanting to actually feel the burn in her muscles. The more she pushes herself, the more her thoughts get farther and farther away. Her guilt? Gone. Her worries? For the most part, gone. 

Melog checks on her from time to time when she gets dizzy, having to pause her actions. She almost throws up at one point, sending Melog into a small frenzy. She assures them she’s fine and waves them off, making them scoff.

She’s fine, until one big wave hits her. She can see the Whispering Woods in the distance seem to light up with magic. Her stomach churns and she drops the tools she was carrying. Her limbs shake and Melog is immediately there to catch her fall.

Her vision blurs, spots appearing and blocking her sight. Melog meows, probably chastising her. She tries to focus on the noise, the feeling of their fur against her but the world seems to get farther and farther away. Her ears ring. It gets louder and louder. Suddenly, her vision is taken, consumed by the dark. 

***

Catra and Bow arrived accompanied by two castle guards. The four of them should be able to handle it, but if needed, they can always call for help. 

“Alright, let’s all split up and make sure everyone’s okay. If anyone’s missing, we’ll all look. We should be getting some supplies soon, so let’s meet up in…” Bow ponders for a second. “Thirty minutes, that work?”

“Yes,” they all say in unison, and from there, they split.

Some people eye Catra nervously but with the knowledge of her position with Glimmer and the fact that Bow and guards are with her, they quickly get over their discomfort. At least she’s not cleaning up her mess this time. She doesn’t remember ever ordering or participating in an attack against this village. That doesn’t mean she hasn’t hurt them in any way. She holds back a groan, feeling the guilt churn her stomach. Her palms begin to sweat so she quickly rubs them on her leggings. 

She falls back into her work, ignoring her guilt. The more she focuses, the more it dissipates. Two children are missing, a crying mother informs Catra. Catra looks around and within twenty minutes, she finds the children playing with the overgrown plants from the Whispering Woods. When she sees the mother’s grateful smile and gets a hug from the woman, she feels a little less guilty. She manages a smile and says her goodbyes.

From there, she meets with Bow and the guards, and they get ready for the rest of their day. Supplies will be sent over and in a few hours, it looks like the town should be back to normal. 

Catra works hard throughout the day. Her mind remains stuck on Adora, even as she does her tasks. She gets distracted for a few seconds, lost in the motions, before she’s thinking about Adora again. What’s up with her? She knows she can feel the runestones and the changes in the planet’s magic, and she makes it seem like it’s no big deal, but it seems like she gets sick every time. Adora rarely ever got sick in the Horde —no one did really— so Catra isn’t sure what Adora’s like when she’s sick, but she’s sure that Adora would do what she usually does. Push through it.

Catra huffs out a sigh, doing her best to focus on the task at hand. Adora should be fine enough. She also promised she would tell any of her friends if she felt sick. For the first few days after the war ended, she followed through and took her much needed break. Catra hopes she’s not ignoring her promise now.

I should be with her right now…

No, it’s fine. It’s fine. We’ve been separated before to do our work. It’s fine.

But not during times like these.

What if she needs me? What if she’s sick?

In seconds, her thoughts are interrupted again when a screeching Swift Wind descends in front of Catra. He looks terrified and this makes the feline’s fur bristle.

“Swift Wind, wha—“

“Adora. It’s Adora!”

“Shit.”

***

Glimmer sits in the war room, her chin resting in her hand. She does her best to breathe and stay calm, not letting her frustration get the best of her. She decides to listen to Perfuma’s advice. To breathe and try to feel her connection to runestone, get back in tune with it.

She closes her eyes and tries to feel her runestone. She usually can. It’s warm. It’s bright. It reminds her of one of her mother’s hugs. Her runestone makes her feel safe and connected to Etheria. Connected to her title of Queen. Connected to her mother. 

The shuffling around her distracts her slightly. Her father stands near the doorway, talking to Juliet. She hears him clear his throat and she can hear them whispering, but she can’t make out the words. 

She goes back to her meditation. She can feel her runestone. It feels hot and cold at the same time. Not the normal warmth. It hasn’t disappeared from her. It’s still there, but the power and the feeling it gives her is no longer there. She does her best to connect with it. She silently begs for it to work with her, let her back in. She needs this. She needs this. Her eyebrows furrow.

Again, her concentration is broken with the ringing of the communicator. Her eyes pop open and all heads turn to the noise. She quickly picks up the call.

“What’s going on?” she asks, her voice cracking.

“It’s Adora,” Bow quickly supplies for her. 

“She’s coming your way now,” Catra says, though she’s not in frame.

Glimmer notices the bright blue background behind them and squints, thinking she sees a cloud. 

“Is she with you? Why are you in the sky?” she questions.

“I’m taking them to the castle, my Queen,” Swift Wind replies and she nods in understanding. 

“She’s not with us. She’s with Melog right now. They’re taking her,” Catra replies and Glimmer nods her head again.

“Alright, I’ll get to the front.”

“Hey, real quick before you go. Quick check in. Can you teleport? How are you?” Bow asks, his worried eyes softening. She smiles slightly.

“No, but I’m okay,” she says as she quickly makes her way out of the war room.

“Okay, we’ll be there soon. Don’t push yourself.” 

“Don’t worry about me, Bow, I’m okay. Worry about Adora.”

“Now you sound like Adora,” Catra chimes in with a scoff. Glimmer bets that’s Catra’s rolling her eyes.

“Oh, shut up. Seriously, I’m good, you too. I need the exercise after sitting around all day. Goodbye, guys!”

She jogs to the front of the castle, internally swearing with each step. This way of travel is so much more work and takes so much longer. Running through the castle makes her realize how large it actually is. 

In a few minutes, she’s at the front with two guards. Juliet and Micah are quickly at her side, looking out in the distance for any sign of Melog and Adora.

“I shouldn’t have let her go,” Glimmer mutters to herself, crossing her arms.

“She said she was fine, Queen Glimmer, it’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known,” Juliet tries to assure her, her voice less diplomatic and more gentle.

“Exactly,” Micah adds, resting a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. 

“But Adora does this all the time. I should know by now.” She groans, shaking her head in frustration. 

“She probably was fine. See, look at the Whispering Woods. The magic is acting up and it probably triggered something,” Micah points out. “Don’t you feel it?” 

Juliet and Glimmer squint out in the distance, seeing the yellow and blue glow coming from the woods. The queen listens to her father and tries to feel what he’s talking about. She feels a lot of magic. It’s different from the Moonstone. It’s cold, but it’s not menacing. It’s not like Shadow Weaver.

“Yeah, I do,” she replies.

“Do we send anyone out?” Juliet asks, glancing to the royalty next to her.

“No, maybe you should call Aunt Casta though.” 

Juliet raises her eyebrows and Glimmer thinks she sees her general blush, but Juliet quickly nods her head and walks away. Micah laughs softly as if he knows something.

“...What?” she asks curiously, glancing behind her shoulder at her general.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Good call,” he says kind of awkwardly. Glimmer just shrugs.

She looks back out in the distance and sees a figure getting closer and closer. The figure is purple and on all fours, and carrying Glimmer’s blonde friend.

“Adora!”

***

“Adora, Adora, wake up,” a gentle voice coaxes her.

She struggles to open her eyes, until finally, she sees who’s calling out to her. Her eyes widen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, i hope you guys enjoy the chapter. i’m taking next week off for my mental health and just a break in general. i wish you guys the best and happy holidays!


	3. Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you guys had nice holidays! i’m glad this year is pretty much over. see you next year!

“Okay, check in time with you. How are you, Catra?” Bow asks as he lowers the communication/tracker pad.

“Just—I don’t know. Bad.” She holds back a scoff. What does he expect her to feel? She does her best not to snap at him; he means well.

“You can be more descriptive than that, buddy,” Bow encourages her gently. “Uh, if you want…” She can’t see his smile but she can feel it, that’s for sure.

“Worried. I don’t know what’s going on and I’m worried for her,” she admits meekly, glancing down, her ears following, before quickly looking back up seeing how high up they are.

“Thank you for telling me,” Bow responds. “Me too, but we’ll get through this, we’re the Best Friend Squad!” he remains hopeful, always. It calms the thrashing of her tail slightly, makes her lip quirk just a little.

“I just—she can never just stop and take a day for herself. I love her for her kindness. Her fucking ginormous heart. I don’t know if I would’ve forgiven me or believed in me like she did, but I’m so scared it’s going to be the end of her,” Catra rants, struggling to hold back tears. She flushes at how much she’s just confessed.

“Me too,” Swift Wind confesses. “But I sense her and it seems like she’s just asleep. Maybe a little more than asleep but different from what I felt at the Heart.”

“What did you feel at the Heart?” Bow asks, raising his eyebrows.

“I felt her fade. Her connection to me got weaker. Like how it was when you guys were in space, except she wasn’t out of range, she was…” Swift Wind drifts off and Catra bites her lip. Her ears fall even more.

“Gods, I’m not going to let her leave our room for a week. She’s not leaving my fucking arms for a while,” Catra says, her voice cracking.

“Good luck trying,” Swift Wind replies with a chuckle.

“She’s such an idiot,” Catra whispers. 

“I don’t know if I would call her an idiot...fine, I don’t know what else to call her, but she’s our idiot,” Bow says with a chuckle.

“To our idiot!” Swift Wind cheers and despite all their worry, they laugh. It may be a bit forced, but it’s better than stewing in the negativity.

***

Glimmer rushes over to Melog, running past the guards. She doesn’t have the strength to carry Adora but there’s no way she’s letting the guards get to her best friend before her. She has to confirm she’s okay, for herself and the others. Her stomach churns.

Adora is fast asleep, her face scrunched up as if she’s deep in thought. She’s pretty limp, except for her hands which grip Melog’s fur tightly. Her grip is weaker though, her knuckles a normal color and not white from a death grip. Melog is larger than usual, accommodating her entire body sprawled out against them. 

“Thank you so much, Melog,” Glimmer says quickly, earning a quick meow in response. 

Adora’s head is tilted to the side, facing Glimmer, so she doesn’t suffocate in all the fur. Glimmer studies her features as the sound of guard’s footsteps get louder and louder. Melog’s tail lashes but they do their best to hold back their obvious concern. Glimmer studies her friend’s features. Her face is paler, her lips a lighter color and in general, it’s just clear she’s tired. She doesn’t look too sickly, but she looks sick. Not the flu sick, but a cold or a hangover type of sick. 

A strand of hair falls into her face, which Glimmer pushes back. She feels Adora’s warm face under her fingertips, confirming she’s alive, feeling that she’s here with her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers to her, shaking her head before turning to the guards. “Can you guys please pick her up and I’ll get her to the infirmary?” 

The two guards quickly nod and gently grab onto the princess. One helps the other hold the blonde bridal style and soon, the guard, Adora and Glimmer are transported into the infirmary. 

This leaves the other guard, Melog and Micah all scrambling back inside to catch up with the teleporting queen. 

Melog pauses halfway through their trek to Adora, feeling Catra get closer. Their bond spikes a little and the emotions the two share get a little stronger. They look ahead, watching Micah and the guard’s forms shrink with the distance they’re gaining. They turn a corner and they’re gone. Melog walks around in a circle, wondering if they should greet her and bring her to Adora, or stay by Adora’s side. Quickly, they decide Adora needs them more and make their ways through the halls. 

In seconds, they’re caught up to Micah and the guard, and using the last of their energy, they pass the duo. They barrel into the door, jumping and using their paws to push it open. They glide a little on the floors before skidding to a stop. To their left, there’s an injured guard, talking quietly to a nurse. Melog turns to the right and is met with Adora getting her vitals taken. They step closer and her calming scent overtakes their nose. They purr a little at seeing her and hop onto an open chair Glimmer pulled for them.

“She’s doing okay,” Glimmer tells the feline, rubbing behind their ears. “Thank you again for bringing her.” They purr in response letting out a short meow.

“Her vitals are normal,” the doctor parrots, stepping away from Adora. “It’s as if she’s sleeping.” 

“Do you have any idea how long she’ll be like this?” Glimmer asks nervously before chewing on her lip.

“We’re not sure,” he replies sadly, glancing at a nurse who also frowns. “You said this was because of all the magic being haywire?”

“Yes, she and I both feel it, but she’s way more connected to the planet than I am. I’m just connected to my runestone,” Glimmer replies, ending her eye contact with the doctor to watch her friend rest.

“For now, I’m going to assume she passed out from exhaustion. We’ll give her fluids and continue to monitor her,” the doctor says.

“Okay, thank you.”

Melog meows their thanks as Micah walks into the room. His eyes are wide and his long hair falls out of his bun and into his face, as he checks over his daughter and her friend.

“How is she?” he asks, standing next to Melog and brushing the strands out of his face.

“Okay; her vitals are normal.” Glimmer grabs onto her the blonde’s hand. 

The bond Melog feels strengths again and they’re sure Catra has arrived at the castle. They meow and bump their head against Glimmer’s arm. The queen stiffens.

“Is it Adora?” They shake their head. “Catra?” They purr in response. “Are her and Bow here?” They purr again. “Alright, I’m going to teleport them up here. Watch over her, Melog and Dad.” 

Before they can respond, she’s off in a cloud of sparkles. The two make eye contact before Melog shrinks into a kitten, curling up against Adora’s side. 

Micah smiles softly at the display before turning back to the doctor with a question, “Do you think I could try a healing spell?” He raises up his hands, palms up. 

The doctor chews on his lip. “Of course, King Micah, but she seems to be deep in sleep. I don’t think it’ll help, but with your skill, I know that you won’t make it worse.” 

Micah hums and makes eye contact with Melog, who stares his hands down. Their fur fluffs up and their tail lashes. Their body may be tense but their eyes are gentle, a part of them knowing Micah is not a threat. Micah raises his hands up, showing them to the cat. 

“I promise I won’t hurt her.” The two make eye contact and Melog purrs their agreement. “Thank you,” Micah replies, nodding his head.

***

“Sparkles!” Catra calls out to the queen, quickly getting off of her and Bow’s steed. 

“Hi, hi, you two are okay?” she checks, looking Bow in the eyes and glancing over to Catra. 

They’re both tense; Bow, the usually calm and quiet one is jittery, and Catra, the snarky yet quiet one looks as stressed as she was on Prime’s ship. 

“Fine, just take me to her, please,” Catra answers, grabbing onto Glimmer’s arm. Her grip is gentle, showing Glimmer some care, but tighter than normal.

“There’s a large window in the infirmary I can get open for you,” Glimmer offers Swift Wind and he nods in agreement, quickly flying off.

The queen listens to Catra’s beg, grabbing onto Bow and taking them to their destination. They appear in the room with a cloud of sparkles. Catra holds her stomach but despite her nausea, she’s quickly at Adora’s side, grabbing her hand and standing over her. 

“Hmm, she looks better,” Glimmer comments with confusion before letting in Swift Wind. 

She motions to the others in the infirmary and shushes him before letting him inside. She then shuts the window, keeping the breeze from getting inside and chilling the room.

“I used a healing spell,” Micah adds. “It didn’t wake her up but she looks less exhausted and if she was dehydrated, she shouldn’t be anymore.”

“Thank you...for that,” Catra says, just above a whisper. She doesn’t look up from Adora.

“Of course,” Micah replies.

She lets go of her hand for a second to take out her ponytail. She brushes her hair out of her face with gentle, declawed fingers. She pulls the chair behind her closer to the bed and grabs back onto her girlfriend’s hand.

“What’s wrong with her?” Bow asks the question.

“We think it’s the magical imbalance of the planet. She’s connected to it, so she’s feeling the effects of it,” Micah replies and Catra nods her head.

“Oh, so she’s sick?” Bow asks before pulling up a chair and sitting next to bed.

“No, just exhausted,” Glimmer supplies.

“Well, I’m not letting her out of bed for a week,” Catra states and there are no arguments.

“Actually I wanted to talk with you guys about that. We don’t have to do this now—“

“Sparkles, just spit it out,” the feline almost hisses but holds herself back. She takes a deep breath in, trying to calm herself.

Glimmer takes no offense.

“I think we should give her a two week break. Mandatory. Like after Prime. If she insists on doing work, it’s boring paperwork and no heavy lifting,” Glimmer proposes, folding her hands. 

“I don’t think it has to be bed rest. She could take a vacation with you, Catra,” Micah adds, smiling slightly.

Catra tries to hold back a smile, a memory reappearing in her mind. Adora, holding her hands, the callused tips of her thumbs rubbing against the top of her hands. Blue eyes pierced into hers. Warmth radiated from both their cheeks. She couldn’t see hers, but she could see Adora’s, how it brightened Adora’s face and somehow made her even more breathtaking. Her hair was down for once. They sat enjoying the sunset. In that moment, it was just them, Adora promising her that they would explore Etheria one day together. See the world the way it should be seen, the way they were robbed of as children. As soldiers. They could be civilians. They could be happy.

Catra breaks herself out of her thoughts, a slight flush in her cheeks, sort of like then, but now hidden by her fur and not in the view of her friends.

“I’m not against that, but you know she will be,” Catra states, continuing to stare at her girlfriend, as if looking away would make her disappear.

She hasn’t been this worried in a while, but this is their first threat since Prime. This is the best her life has ever been, and she’s so afraid to lose it. To lose Adora again. Catra has no way to help either, except stare Adora down, hold her hand and hope for the best.

“We can find a middle ground. I just...I don’t want to push her. I’m afraid that I’ve been pushing her and that’s how she ended up here. I should’ve ordered her to stay back. She was clearly off today,” Glimmer says guiltily. Bow grabs her hand and offers her a smile but her lips wobble too much for her to be able to return it. 

“Not really, she just seemed antsy or something. She’s really good at hiding her pain,” Catra states disappointedly. “And when she’s antsy like that, she loves to run or spar it out or go and help someone, so I let her do it. I shouldn't've.”

“And she didn’t feel too off either. Maybe our connection became weaker because of the magic, but she seemed fine,” Swift Wind adds. He too, looks guilty. 

“Okay, so we can all agree that she needs a break and this is no one’s fault—or equally everyone's fault—but I also think we should make her go and take the next step. She needs to start being able to confide in us, and she does some days, but it’s not enough. I think we should push her to start therapy,” the blonde’s girlfriend suggests, squeezing her love’s hand just a bit tighter, as if she’s confirming she’s still present. 

“One hundred percent,” Bow states, his eyes sparkling his hopeful sparkle.

“Yup, it’s helped me. It may work for her,” Micah adds, motioning to the blonde.

“I was thinking that too,” the queen agrees. “And I have one more idea. It’s been on my mind.”

“And that’s…?” Bow questions, arching an eyebrow.

“That we push back our space travel. We’re trying to cram all this rebuilding and healing our world after a war that lasted decades, into a few months, to then go back out in space and bring back magic. And Adora’s carrying a ton of that weight. I think we should push it back a year,” Glimmer says and everyone nods their heads, surprisingly agreeing with her.

“Works for me,” Catra agrees, finally looking up at the group. 

“I think it’ll help with everyone’s stress levels, not just Adora’s,” Bow adds, moving his hand a little as he speaks.

“And I can have more time to prepare to be king temporarily,” Micah adds with a chuckle. 

“We’re all in agreement? We’ll have to pitch it to the Princess Alliance, but we’re really not going to have any problems there.” Glimmer finally lets herself, some of the weight on her shoulders lowering.

“Yes,” they all surprisingly say in unison. 

They all sit in silence, enjoying one another’s company. Sometimes Bow, Swift Wind or Micah breaks the silence. Bow earns a chuckle from Catra after making a dumb joke. Glimmer rests her head on Bow’s shoulder. Catra kisses Adora’s forehead and cheeks, blushing a little at the audience, but in those moments, all she can think about is her girlfriend and her love for her. Melog curls up on Adora’s belly, moving slightly with each breath in and out. The doctor checks on her once more, but once again, everything is normal. For the most part, this experience is almost peaceful, but obviously, there’s a layer of anxiety underneath all of this. They don’t speak on it; they’re all clearly worried and the worst thing to do in times like this is bask in it, to share their greatest fears.

What if Adora doesn’t wake up?

What if—

Yeah, none of that. 

An hour passes, and Adora’s shifting. Melog hops off her, letting out a worried meow. Her limp hand squeezes Catra’s back. Catra gasps and squeezes a little tighter, kissing her girlfriend on the cheek.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” her girlfriend coos gently, barely audible to anybody but Adora.

Her voice is so gentle, so loving. So is her gaze. Her eyes dilate at the sight of her beautiful girlfriend, finally awake and aware. She rubs her fingers through her beautiful hair again, appreciating the softness against her rough fingers, between her shortened claws.

Everyone’s standing up except Catra. Knowing this will stress Adora out, seeing all these people worried and towering over her, and quickly, subtly (though Adora is not paying attention), she motions for them all to take a seat. They oblige, but they all remain on the edge of her seats. Glimmer grips hers like a lifeline, her other hand squeezing Bow’s.

Adora grunts before opening her eyes. She squints and quickly shuts them at the bright light. Her pupils shrink while Catra’s continue to expand at the sight of her girlfriend gaining awareness, being okay, being here. She probably looks dopey, staring at her love like this, but she can’t find it in herself to give a shit. For the first time in her life, she trusts those around her, she’s safe and she’s loved. And she’s so fucking proud of it.

“Catra…?” Adora asks quietly, her voice rough from sleep. 

“I’m here, I’m here,” she assures and pecks her cheek again. 

Adora chuckles and smiles at the contact. She seems so tired, Catra doubts she could sit up and kiss her back. Because of their audience, Catra holds back from making out with her right then and there, and for her tired girlfriend's sake too. 

“I saw them. They had a lot to say and I have a lot to say,” her words slur a little and she struggles to keep her eyes open. “Buh ‘m so tired,” she mumbles, humming at the end of her statement.

“Go back to bed. It’s okay. We’ll all be here,” Catra assures, glancing back to their friends.

“Go to sleep, Adora, we’ll stay,” Bow assures too, his voice gentle.

“You sure?” Adora checks, cracking her eyes open.

“Positive,” Catra assures. “Rest up, dummy.”

The corner of Adora’s lip quirks and soon, she falls back into sleep.

“Who do you think she dreamt of?” Glimmer asks.

“Mara,” Swift Wind and Catra answer in unison.

“She said ‘them’ though,” Glimmer mentions.

“Double Trouble?” Bow tries to joke and Catra’s tail lashes. She forces out a small chuckle though. 

“Mara was there,” Swift Wind states. “I can tell when she connects with Adora. The whole She-Ra connection thingy.” 

“Hmm, I wonder who else was there though,” Glimmer ponders, her face scrunching a bit.

“She’ll tell us later, if she remembers,” Catra replies with a shrug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> adora’s perspective next chapter :)


	4. Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora’s perspective.

Adora’s body felt heavy as she fell into sleep but as she comes back to consciousness, she feels lighter. A little too light, as if she’s floating. Her eyes remain a bit too heavy to open, so she just lets herself feel. A gentle breeze, barely there, brushes up against her warm skin. Though she can’t open her eyes, she sees the brightness behind her eyelids. She’s quickly brought to reality when a warm, gentle hand cups her cheek, thumb rubbing gently against her cheekbone. 

“Adora, Adora, wake up,” a gentle voice coaxes her out of sleep.

She continues to struggle to open her eyes, until finally, she sees who’s calling out to her. Her eyes widen at the sight before her—who is before her. Purple eyes, similar to Glimmer’s, looking at her. They’re gentle and non-judgemental, just studying the girl before her. There’s a sparkle in them, a bit of hope at the sight of the blonde woman.

Her long pink hair is still beautiful as always, but less put together. It’s the same length somehow but there’s knots and some frizz. The waves of her hair have not been taken care of and look dry, almost dead, especially at the ends. 

Angella’s arm falls away into her lap. The woman chuckles and wipes away the tears in her eyes. Adora notices how pale her skin is becoming. 

Adora’s at a loss for words, seeing her again. Her lip trembles and she takes a deep breath in before speaking, “A-Angella,” she stutters out with a shaking voice. Guilt weighs down on her chest and tears gather in her eyes before tumbling down her cheeks. “I’m-I’m sorry,” she apologizes, shoulders hunching. 

She tries to meet Angella’s eyes but stars, it makes the guilt worse. Her breathing picks up the pace, but the breaths are shallow and everything seems to get worse for Adora. She swears for a second her vision gets a little hazy.

How can she look Angella in the eyes? She’s failed her. She’s failed—

“Adora.” Large gentle hands touch her shoulders, almost hovering. When she gets no negative reaction, she then grabs Adora’s shoulder’s gently and holds onto them. “Adora, please look in me in the eyes.” Her voice is rough, as if she’s tired. Adora can assume she is and she wouldn’t blame her, being stuck in a portal for years.

“Sorry, sorry,” she quickly apologizes.

“No apologies. I don’t need them, and you don’t need to feel the guilt you’re feeling. You didn’t do this to me. I made my decision and I have no regrets, Adora. None,” Angella states, looking Adora sternly in the eyes. “None,” she repeats. 

“Is this real? It can’t…” Adora looks around and notices the figure behind Angella. Her face contorts in confusion and she squints.

“It’s real, to some extent,” the figure says and steps closer and closer, revealing the last She-Ra. Her hair is cut short, looking cleaner than Angella’s. Her eyes are sunken in and she looks weak, but she stands tall and proud. She may be weakened, but she’s strong and the confidence she exudes enforces it. “Angella and I are in the portal but through magic and your connection to us, we are speaking.” Mara gives her a smile and Adora can’t help but smile back.

“So, you’re not here with us, but yes, this is real,” Angella sums it up.

“Gods, we need to get you guys back—“

“Ah, ah.” Angella wags a finger. “That’s not why we’re speaking. I don’t want you sacrificing anybody for us.”

“It’s not what we want,” Mara agrees, taking a seat next to Angella. 

“But, if there’s somehow some way to get us back, that’s one-hundred percent safe,” she emphasizes the last part. “Then you have our blessing,” Angella says, looking to Mara who nods her head.

“What she said,” Mara replies.

“Okay, I’ll talk to Entrapta when I wake up,” Adora says. “I’m not giving up on you guys, okay?”

“That’s okay, but please, don’t ruin your life for us. Do you remember what I said?” Mara asks Adora, reaching out and grabbing her hand. Her grip is weak, but she holds on tight. 

“That I’m more than I can give other people,” Adora whispers, nodding her head. She purses her lips and squeezes Mara’s hand back. 

Angella squeezes Adora’s hand, nodding her head at the statement. “You are everything, Adora, to Bow, to Glimmer, to the Rebellion, to the world, but it’s not because of She-Ra, it’s because you’re a wonderful individual, Adora. Do not forget that.” Angella tears up a little bit and sniffles. “Gosh, I thought I ran out of tears a while ago.” She shrugs with a chuckle. “Guess not.”

“Neither have I,” Mara adds, chuckling.

“Glimmer is so lucky to have you. Everyone is,” Angella says seriously, her hands leaving Adora’s shoulders; one hand cups Adora’s cheek again while the other grabs her and Mara’s intertwined hands. 

“I can tell you’re forgetting that,” Mara says. “But please don’t. You are enough, Adora. She-Ra didn’t save the world, you did. Remember my words. Please care for yourself. I can tell you’re weakened, something with our shared connection and something with your magic. Please, Adora, for us, rest.”

“Yes, the last thing I’ll ask of you is to remember you are enough, please. And hug Glimmer for me, please.” Adora almost breaks out into sobs seeing Angella mention Glimmer. The way her smile disappears due to her trembling lips makes Adora’s heart shatter.

“Okay, okay, yeah. I can do that. I can do that,” Adora agrees, wiping tears from her reddened cheeks. 

“Good,” Mara says, her expression soft. “We’re very proud of you.”

“I promise I’ll get you back soon. I know there’s a way. You guys need to see Eternia again. It’s at peace! The war is finally done! Times are changing! You—You guys have to.” 

Angella opens her mouth for a second before shutting it. She glances over to Mara who takes over. “We look forward to it.”

“Now, wake up. I know the princesses are going insane with you passed out like this,” Angella tells her. 

“But there’s so much more to update you on—“ Adora tries and they shake their heads.

“We’ll see you again. Magic is funny like that,” Mara assures Adora, giving her a hug. Adora grabs tightly onto her small form, feeling how frail she is. Her muscles are fading. Adora’s face scrunches up at the thought. They pull away.

“See you then,” Angella says, enveloping Adora in her arms. She holds on tightly, but like Mara, she’s weakened. Adora hugs them back, tears running down her cheeks again. Her body shudders with each breath. Her mind screams to get them back. 

The warmth fades. Along with her vision. She pulls away as the women in front of her fade, along with her vision.

She’s left in darkness by herself. 

She swears she’ll get them back. 

While her vision is black, she gains her senses back. First, she gains her touch. She feels warmth on her skin. A hand in hers, probably Catra. Someone else is next to her, curled up on her. Probably Melog. She feels warmth wrapped around her body, probably blankets. Then, her smell is given back to her and she smells the infirmary and the familiar scent of Melog and Catra. She feels herself calm at the confirmation they’re there with her. 

She clears her throat, trying to get the power to speak. “Catra…?” Adora asks quietly, her voice rough from sleep and weak from fatigue. 

“I’m here, I’m here,” she assures and pecks her cheek again. 

Adora chuckles and smiles at the contact, tilting into her love’s touch. She wants to kiss her back but the most she can do is lean into the sweet touches. Gods, she wants to kiss her so bad.

Her mind slowly wakes up even though it so badly wants to fall back into sleep. She remembers her conversations with the two women trapped in the portal. Her lip trembles and tries her best to try to form the right words. She manages to open her eyes.

“I saw them. They had a lot to say and I have a lot to say,” her words slur a little and she struggles to keep her eyes open. “Buh ‘m so tired,” she mumbles, humming at the end of her statement.

“Go back to bed. It’s okay. We’ll all be here,” Catra assures, glancing back to their friends.

Gods, she wants to talk to them. It’s Angella and Mara. They’re alive!

But sleep is so, so enticing. And it’s all her mind wants right now.

“Go to sleep, Adora, we’ll stay,” Bow assures too, his voice gentle.

“You sure?” Adora checks, cracking her eyes open again. Her vision is blurry but she can see all her friends gathered around her. 

“Positive,” Catra assures, putting a little. Adora almost chuckles at the sound, but she’s too tired to manage it. “Rest up, dummy.”

The corner of Adora’s lip quirks and soon, she falls back into sleep.

She doesn’t expect to be thrown back into a dream, but there she is, thrown into another world. 

It’s strange. She’s on a bed, big like the one in Angella’s suite, but her body is so small. She coos and makes quiet noises. There’s nothing coherent coming from her. Someone next to her mimics the noises and she wonders who it could be. She turns her head and is greeted with blue eyes like hers. A baby. She reaches out to the baby and two link their tiny fingers together, babbling to one another while they hold eye contact. She notices the baby is blond like her, but it’s a different shade from what she’s used to. It’s lighter, like how hair was in childhood. Almost platinum. 

“Aww, honey, come look at Adam and Adora!” a sweet voice echoes through the room. 

Adam? And herself? Who are these people? 

She hears footsteps and the people get closer, but before she can figure anything out again, she’s ripped away from this world and these people. 

Her mind is cruel today, making her all confused and jumbled. She’ll have a lot to tell the others when she wakes up.


	5. Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> adora’s finally awake and well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i usually update on the weekend, sorry it’s a day late. i was trying to figure out whether to add the smut to this chapter and upload it later or include it in the next chapter. i decided it’ll be in the next chapter. i’ll be putting warnings for everything beforehand if it’s not your thing.
> 
> see you this weekend! thank you for reading, as always!

Adora wakes up a couple times, just to quickly fall back asleep. It’s the longest she’s slept, probably ever, but it’s not the best sleep. Her dreams are vivid and confusing. Some of them seem like premonitions, while others are just vivid memories playing back in her mind. 

She feels gentle fingers playing with her hair, pushing her bangs out of her face. Finally, the warm hand pauses, cupping her cheek and remaining there. She finally wakes up, opening her eyes to the world again, surrounded by some of her loved ones. Bow and Glimmer have left, but Catra, Swift Wind and Melog remain.

Seeing Adora’s flutter open makes Catra’s heart race and her shoulders slump with relief. Immediately, her lips are on Adora’s. She wants to kiss her roughly until they’re both panting for air, but instead, it’s gentle. It’s just as perfect though. Adora kisses back, humming happily at the feeling of her girlfriend’s soft lips against hers. 

They pull away, Adora giggling. “Welcome back, dummy.” Catra manages to glare at her.

“Hey,” the blonde greets, voice raspy from sleep.

“Do not do that ever again,” Catra states sternly. She wags a finger in her face, before she rests her head on Adora’s shoulder. “I’m doing my best not to scream at you right now, you idiot.” Her tail lashes, but she remains gentle, pressing her body against Adora’s.

“I’m sorry,” Adora whispers before sighing.

“We need to work on our communication, huh?”

“Maybe…” Adora confesses, sighing.

“Please, promise me you’ll tell me if you ever feel like that.”

“I promise,” Adora whispers. She kisses the top of Catra’s head. 

“I was so worried,” she replies, her face scrunching up. “They were too, stayed up all night. We took shifts.” The feline points over to their sleeping companions, curled up together on the floor.

Adora coos quietly at the sight. “Thank you, and I’m sorry for worrying you guys. It was the magic though, I’m not dying or anything,” she replies and pauses for a moment, wondering if it wasn’t just the planet’s magic.

Maybe Mara and Angella had to communicate with her? It seemed like they knew what was happening. She bites her lip. 

“What‘s wrong?” Catra asks, tilting her head to look up at her blonde girlfriend. Her eyebrows furrow. “I can tell your frying that dumb brain of yours,” she teases, poking the blonde’s cheek with a clawed finger. 

“I dreamt some interesting stuff.” Catra raises an eyebrow. “But I don’t think they were dreams.”

“Mara?” the feline whispers, grabbing onto Adora’s hand. 

“Yeah, I talked to Mara...and Angella. I know they’re in the portal, but I spoke to them. Held their hands. Magic is weird, especially She-Ra magic...I think it really was them...It was. And we need to get them back,” Adora lets out, doing her best to not fumble the words. 

Catra’s tail lashes. Her grip on Adora’s hand lightens before she squeezes the blonde’s hand tighter. Her ears flatten and she bites her lip like Adora was doing before.

“If you’re right, then I want to help,” she whispers, heterochromatic eyes meeting blue. “I owe it to Angella. I fucking put her there in the first place.”

“That’s fine, just no self sacrificial shit.”

“Damn, you’re sounding like me,” Catra teases, though Adora continues to stare her down. She glares at her, though it lacks any anger.

“Yeah, don’t be me.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Catra dismisses.

“Promise me. I’ll talk to you guys more about how I’m feeling and in turn, you don’t sacrifice yourself to make up for your past mistakes.”

“I promise, babe.” Catra pecks her cheek, seeking Adora’s warmth. Skin against fuzzy skin. She gives in to her instincts and scent marks Adora, something she hasn’t done since childhood. Something she stopped because she got scolded for it.

Adora smiles softly, liking the affection. She remembers this type of affection vaguely. Shadow Weaver hated it. She’s happy that Catra can be comfortable here in Bright Moon. 

“Thank you.” She wraps an arm around Catra and rubs her back soothingly. It’s silent for a moment, just the two of them together. They forget about the others in the room, just for a a second. Until Adora decides to break the silence, the wheels in her brain turning, “I’m thinking about asking Entrapta for help and now that we’re out of Despondos, I think it’ll be safe. Angella and Mara made me promise to only help them if it’s guaranteed to be safe.”

“I don’t think there’s any guarantee that opening a portal would be completely safe,” Catra argues, furrowing her eyebrows.

“Maybe it won’t be completely safe, but we can do our best to prevent casualties. We can make it as safe as possible,” Adora says. “Safe enough to not lose anybody.”

“I’m down for that. I’m sure Sparkles will be too,” Catra says. She smiles gently, though it’s kind of forced. Adora notices the guilt lingering in her eyes, and how her ears haven’t perked up completely yet. 

“Hey, try not to feel too guilty. You’re doing your best to make up for it—“

“Adora, that doesn’t change the fact I did something fucking awful, out of revenge. I could've killed all of us.” Her face falls into her hands. “Fuck, I know Glimmer hasn’t forgiven me, but I don’t get how she doesn’t hold a grudge about it.”

“Have you talked to her about it?” Adora asks, though she thinks she knows the answer. 

Catra looks up from her hands and at the opening, Adora takes a hand in hers. She moves over in her bed and pulls on Catra’s arm gently. Her lover complies and sits with her, curled into her side.

The cat sighs. “No, I-I tried, but it’s hard. She doesn’t like talking about it and there’s so much to focus on besides the past now,” Catra replies. 

Adora wraps an arm around her, pulling her as close as she can. They sit in silence for a while, just enjoying having one another. Catra’s tail taps against the bed at a steady pace. Adora finds her free hand mimicking it with her fingers.

“There’s something else I should tell you. It’s not about the past though,” Catra breaks the silence.

“You can tell me anything,” the blonde replies.

“Everyone wants you to take two weeks to rest, alright? No arguments. And by the end of it or before, if you’re ready, you’ll start therapy,” Catra lays out everything and glances to her girlfriend for her protest.

“Two weeks? I get a few days, but that’s too much,” Adora argues before pouting.

“You’re going to rest those first couple days, but there’s some stuff I want to do with you I’ll make sure you keep you extra busy,” Catra purrs, her tail lightly smacking Adora’s cheek. “We were given the chance to travel if we wanted and you can still work, just not physically.”

“I can’t fight this, can I?” Adora asks and Catra grins.

“Uh-uh.” Catra shakes her head.

“Fine, I give in.” Adora leans into her girlfriend, resting her head on her shoulder. 

“That easy?” Catra arches an eyebrow with a chuckle.

“Why fight you? I’m tired of fighting you,” Adora mutters before kissing her girlfriend’s neck. “So, what are your plans for me?”

“We’re gonna visit some old friends and now that you mention this portal stuff, I think we should also stop by Entrapta’s. I haven’t really visited her because of Hordak, but I’m tired of being a shitty friend, and I think she’ll like this new mission,” Catra describes as she rests her chin on Adora’s head. It’s a little weird with the height difference (usually being the other way around) but the couple makes it work.

“What else? That’s not two weeks worth of plans,” the feline’s lover whines, making Catra chuckle. 

“Some relaxing, obviously and some sparring. I’m gonna kick your ass for worrying me like that.” Catra nudges her and Adora smiles. “We’ll make it up as we go.”

“Okay, that sounds good.” Adora nods.

“But before I kick your ass, I’m going to make you relax,” Catra purrs, lowering her voice. Adora squints her eyes at this and to her embarrassment, at Catra’s purr, she flushes.

“How so?” she asks, tilting her head like a puppy. The innocent look on her face almost makes Catra laugh.

“You’ll see. After we get you checked out by the doctors, we’ll go in our bedroom and talk about it.” Catra pecks her cheek. “I’ll be back to go find them.”

“Do you know where they are?”

“The kitchens. It’s time for lunch, princess,” Catra replies as she hops out of bed. The sound of her clawed feet rouses Melog, who meows with some annoyance. “Morning, Melog. Stay with Adora while I grab the doctors, yeah?” 

They meow their agreement, before hopping onto the bed and into Adora’s lap. She scratches their chin with a smile. Adora glances to her side and notices the patient that was there has left. She’s happy to have company then. She glances over to the snoozing horse and continues to show her appreciation to her and Catra’s companion. Waking up alone after those dreams might’ve been confusing and waking up to Catra’s touch is always delightful. 

The door opens again and Adora perks up, out of her head. “That was qu—“ she’s cut off with sparkles in her face and arms wrapped around her. 

Melog meows in fake annoyance at their pets being interrupted, but they enjoy the moment.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” the queen whispers before pulling away quickly. “You’re okay, right? I didn't hurt anything?”

Adora chuckles. “All good, I promise.”

Glimmer raises an eyebrow at the blonde, giving her a onceover. “You’re not lying to me?”

“No, I’m not. And I talked to Catra about the whole taking a break thing...and therapy. I agree with it.” She fists the sheets, gripping them tightly. Melog nudges her fist with a paw, ears drooping. “I’m sorry. I can do better than this.”

“Adora, stop. You’re fine, okay?” Glimmer unwinds Adora’s tightened fingers and takes her hand. “You’re going to work on it. And honestly, we should check up on you more and give you a chance to speak up for yourself. I’ll make sure to do that from now on.”

“Don’t worry too much about me. There’s so much more important stuff going on—“ she’s cut off but the queen.

“You are important. And here’s the deal. If you communicate with us more, we’ll worry less. Okay?”

Adora pauses, meeting Glimmer’s eyes. Glimmer tilts her head, waiting for a response. “Okay,” the blonde agrees and Glimmer wraps her arms around her, before pulling away and pecking her cheek. 

“You’re doing great and the world is healing. Don’t beat yourself up. It’s okay to slow down. The war is over, we have time for that,” the queen assures her. 

“Okay, thank you, Glim.” Glimmer just smiles proudly, taking Catra’s seat. “Are you tired? I know you guys probably stayed up.”

“A little, but you’re worth it.”

Adora blushes a little. “Thanks.” She pauses before continuing the conversation. “Where’s Bow?” she asks.

“I had a meeting but Catra told us about you waking up, so him and my dad took over for me.”

“Glimmer…” Adora almost chastises her but it just comes off disappointed and quiet.

“Adora…” Glimmer mimics her and rolls her eyes. “You are important to me and worth missing part of a dumb meeting for. So, enough of that. How are you doing?”

“Fine, but I have something to talk about with you—“ she’s cut off again by Catra opening the door. 

“I got ‘em—oh, hey, Sparkles” Catra announces before addressing Glimmer. “What about your meeting?”

“It’s fine. Adora’s more important,” Glimmer replies, staring the blonde down as she says it. Adora chuckles, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment.

“Damn right,” Catra agrees and stands at the foot of the bed, letting the two doctors in Adora’s space to do their thing.

Her vitals get taken pretty quickly as they ask her some questions about her water intake, how much sleep she’s getting and how she’s currently feeling. Adora answers as Catra and Glimmer observe the exchange. All seems well and the doctors let her go.

“We’ll have a healer from Mystacor over in a few days, my Queen,” the doctor says as Adora gets up. 

“Good, I’ll tell you when they get here, Adora,” Glimmer relays it to the couple. 

“Huh?” Adora’s eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“Obviously this is a magic thing affecting both of us, so I’m getting one of Aunt Casta’s friends over here. I’ve been doing it every time there’s a surge.”

“Okay, but seriously, I feel better,” Adora replies, not trying to argue but trying to assure.

“You’re still getting checked out, babe,” Catra says. “And with that, Adora and I will get back to our room.” She looks at Melog and then glances to the snoozing Swift Wind. Man, can that horse sleep. “Watch over Swift Wind, Melog, and have fun with your meeting, Sparkles.”

“And where are two heading off in a rush for?” Glimmer scoffs at them, placing her hands on her hips.

Adora goes to stop all this, she has to tell Glimmer about Angella, but Catra is quick to speak. 

“Our bedroom,” Catra purrs, winking at Sparkles. Her tail moves back and forth mischievously. Adora squeaks and flicks Catra’s ear, making the feline chuckle. “We’ll catch up later.”

Glimmer gags behind them before poofing away.

“Why did you have to say it like that?” Adora questions, pouting. Catra chuckles at her girlfriend’s flushed face.

“So, no one follows. I got lunch sent to our room and then…” she pauses for dramatic effect. “I’m. Making. Your. Ass. Relax.” She shoves her finger in Adora’s chest, emphasizing every last word with a tap. The feline then yanks her girlfriend away. She practically drags her to the bedroom, her tail almost smacking Adora’s face every couple steps. 

“But I need to tell Glimmer about Angella and Mara,” Adora protests.

“Babe, I know but now’s seriously not the time for any of us. We’re so busy and you just woke up.” Catra pauses her walking and looks back at her worried girlfriend. 

“I just...I feel like I should, you know, tell her,” the blonde whispers. 

“You will, you will. But right now, you need to rest up and eat. Can you do that for me?” Catra cups her girlfriend’s cheek, still holding with her other hand.

“Catra…” she almost whimpers but Catra just stares at her. From the look on her face, she’s not taking no for an answer.

Adora pauses, biting her bottom lip, before nodding her head. “I can…”

Catra kisses the tip of Adora’s nose in response. “I promise I’ll make it worth your time. C’mon.”


	6. The Bedroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra shows Adora how to relax and that she deserves to be loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: SEX, CLAWPLAY/SCRATCHING, BLINDFOLDS (no blood or anything like that)
> 
> SMUT STARTS AFTER THE FOUR ASTERISKS AND ENDS WITH THE FOUR ASTERISKS. 
> 
> the sex is gentle for the most part. a blindfold is used. safe words are established beforehand. 
> 
> if you don’t like smut or you’re not into this kind of smut, i totally get it. the beginning is fluff and buildup and then there’s the aftermath. feel free to read those. 
> 
> otherwise, enjoy and sorry for the late update! i just wanted to make sure i wrote this right.

The two are curled up in bed together, Catra in Adora’s lap, purring up a storm. Adora hums in response, unconsciously trying to respond to the rumble as she had when they were children. Her limbs feel heavy, a little sluggish. It’s like she came back from an out of body experience. Maybe it was. She doesn’t know. Maybe it’s the calm she feels in this moment, Catra’s familiar weight in her lap. Maybe it’s the fatigue.

She feels great in this moment, but there’s still that lingering feeling in the back of her mind that her body isn’t hers. It’s like when she first transformed into She-Ra. The goddess’ body felt strange and heavy. And some days, when she was stuck as She-Ra for days at a time, her own body, Adora, felt out of place. Maybe it’s because she passed out as She-Ra? She really doesn’t know. All she knows is she doesn’t like this feeling, like her skin isn’t hers. She hates that it takes away from this sweet moment, wrapped around her lover.

Adora’s wandering mind travels back to the moment, letting all the scents, sights and feelings come to her. They eat from a tray Catra had delivered for them from the kitchens. They rarely ever eat in their room, which makes rare instances like this even sweeter. Usually, when they do, they eat lounged out on their balcony, but again, this moment is special and different from the others.

Catra had insisted on feeding Adora somewhat, not their actual meal, sandwiches, but the small berries on the side. In between conversation and in moments of silence, the brunette would press a berry to Adora’s lips and she would open up, before crunching on it. The sweet taste made her taste buds tingle and her mouth water even more. Some moments, Adora would open her mouth and Catra would pop a berry in. It was all very natural. It was just them, wrapped up in each other, in the comforting quiet of their bedroom. 

Catra looks up at her girlfriend, their lips brushing and eyes fluttering shut, before smiling against her girlfriend’s lips. Her tail sways back and forth languidly, like a flag in wind. She kisses her lips gently and Adora kisses back, humming softly. She loses her smile, but her purring kicks up as the kiss gets heavier. The arm Adora has wrapped around her starts rubbing her side softly, reaching up her shirt to feel the soft fur underneath. Catra licks Adora’s lip and the blonde opens up for her. Their tongues meet; one smooth, one rough. They explore each others familiar mouths, quietly moaning into the other’s mouth, before pulling away. Adora giggles, her cheeks pink, before she rests her chin on the feline’s shoulder. Catra purrs even louder at that sound; she loves her girlfriend’s laugh and the fact that she caused it makes it even better.

“You’re beautiful,” Catra whispers, her voice husky and sweet. 

“So are you,” Adora replies, lifting her head and kissing her girlfriend’s cheek.

The two sit in silence for a moment, enjoying the sound of the feline’s purrs. Catra’s eyes close, feeling the most calm she’s felt all day.

The silence ends when Catra makes a suggestion, “Are you ready for me to make good on my promise?” She asks the question softly, eyes fluttering back open.

“You don’t have to…” Adora replies weakly, even though she wants this. It’s been in the back of her mind this entire time. She clenches her free hand, the one not wrapped around her girlfriend.

“I want to,” Catra states, staring her down, searching her girlfriend’s eyes for doubt. “But only if you want to,” she quickly adds, her pinched eyebrows releasing.

“Okay then.” Adora manages a smirk. “Go ahead.”

“Alright, well, before we do anything I need to go over some stuff with you. We’ve talked about this stuff before but we really haven’t done anything with it,” Catra begins and pauses, waiting for Adora to pick up what she’s suggesting.

Adora’s eyebrows furrow and her eyes drift away from Catra’s. They look around their bedroom, before her eyes widen. “The colors?” 

“Yup, you remember them?” 

“Red for stop, yellow for slow down, and green for good to go,” Adora lists off and Catra kisses her nose.

“Good girl,” she purrs out her praise and Adora’s stomach clenches. 

“S-So what did you want to try out?” the blonde plows on, licking her lips. If Catra focuses hard enough, she can hear the racing of Adora’s heart. She notices her tense body underneath hers and frowns.

“Don’t be nervous. You can tell me no, always, and you have the colors if we go ahead with it. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“First off, I’m going to strip you. Slowly. Appreciate every part of that beautiful body of yours,” Catra begins, tracing a nail against Adora’s collarbone. Her girlfriend gulps and the feline bites her lip excitedly. Usually, Adora is the dominant one, so she loves to see her all flustered like this. 

“And then you’ll tell me what you want. It’s all about you today, babe. The most important part of all though, you’re going to relax, let your worries fade away. That sounds good so far?” Adora quickly nods her head. Her girlfriend pays attention to the dilation of her eyes and smirks to herself for a second. “Okay, the next part, like I said before, I want you to lose yourself in the moment and really feel it. So, I got a blindfold not too long ago, and I’d like to try it out for this. Any part of that you don’t like?”

The thought of being left so defenseless, naked and blinded, makes Adora nervous. Until she remembers that it’s just her and Catra. Catra will take care of her. She always does. Adora trusts her girlfriend. She can’t trust anyone more than her.

“I’d like to try it out,” the blonde replies and Catra smiles.

“You ready to try it out now or do you need more time to digest?” She moves her body a little to tap Adora’s toned stomach, making the blonde chuckle.

“Now’s good,” she replies before kissing her girlfriend’s ears, making them flutter under her touch.

Catra pops up from her spot in the blonde’s lap, continuing to purr up a storm. She flicks the light switch off and takes a look around the room. The sun filters in through the window, just enough light and once this is over and the blindfold is off, it shouldn’t be too bright for her girlfriend. Her eyes then follow said girlfriend, who is cleaning up their tray of food and moving it to Catra’s nightstand. 

“Lie down for me, babe. And breathe for me,” Catra adds and Adora hums.

“‘Kay.” Adora quickly follows the orders, plopping down on the bed and stretching out. A few of her joints crack, making Catra’s ears twitch.

The brunette keeps quiet as she walks over to her nightstand, opening up the drawer and quickly finding the blindfold. She plops it on the bed. She won’t be using it for the first few minutes. 

Instead, she stares at her girlfriend. She lies on the bed, eyes shut and chest rising and falling slowly. The sun comes in through the window, making her blonde hair appear to glow, waves scattered around her head. Catra appreciates the light flush on her cheeks, the few freckles she’s gained, that one scar, and lastly, one of her personal favorites, that sharp jawline. She takes her hand, claws retracted, and traces the outline of her jaw. Adora tilts her head, eyes fluttering open, dilated and focused on Catra. The feline just smiles in response, continuing to do her tracing. She then stops, cupping her girlfriend’s cheek.

“You’re breathtaking.” She kisses her girlfriend’s nose. “You’re enough.” She kisses both her cheeks, feeling the way they move when her love smiles. “You’re perfect,” Catra finishes before kissing Adora, locking lips with her girlfriend.

They pull away. Heterochromatic eyes meet bright blue. A tail sways. Two hands meet. They grip each other tightly, but not too roughly. Catra presses her forehead to Adora’s, warm soft skin against fuzzy skin.

“I love you,” Catra whispers.

“I love you too.” 

Their lips collide again. Gentle, before picking up the pace. Tongues meet, gently colliding before exploring their surroundings once again. Their intertwined fingers squeeze tighter. Adora feels hot, so hot. Catra’s tail picks up the pace, no longer swaying but dancing excitedly. She gently bites on Adora’s lip, trapping it in between her teeth, earning herself a beautiful moan.

They pull away, both panting. Both flushed. Four eyes totally dilated. So in love. “You ready for me to start, baby?” 

“Mhmm,” Adora hums. 

****

Gods, Adora doesn’t know if she can take it slow. The ache in between her legs seems to worsen with every second. Every time she makes heated eye contact with Catra. Every swipe of her tongue. Everything about her has her soaking. She whines, earning a smirk from her partner, and she swears Catra looks at her as if she’s prey. She trembles, squeezing the hand trapped in hers. She hasn’t taken this position in a while, usually being the dominant one, but this one isn’t half bad either. 

Catra moves lower, kissing and licking Adora’s neck. Their hands unlock and Adora quickly wraps an arm around her girlfriend, feeling the muscles in her back move. She moans when Catra begins to suck on her neck, leaving her mark. Adora is hers, all hers. Catra’s nose rests up against her pulse point, feeling the constant beating of her heart. She licks the spot once last time and Adora wonders if Catra can feel the blood thrumming through her veins. The cat moves down to her collarbone, leaving more licks and marks.

She pulls away. “Tell me what you want,” Catra begins, mismatched eyes piercing blue. Her husky voice makes the ache worse. Adora clenches her thighs, bringing them together.

“Kiss me. Anywhere else. I need more,” Adora whispers, practically begging, letting herself want.

“You got it.” Catra slides down Adora’s form, straddling her thighs. She watches the rise and fall of Adora’s chest, it getting quicker and quicker. Her own ache between her thighs is worsening, but she can wait. It’s one hundred percent worth it.

She pushes her girlfriend’s shirt up, claws lightly pricking the fabric. She pushes it up to her sternum and leaves it there. Clawed hands slowly rub against the smooth skin. Underneath calloused fingertips, she can feel Adora’s abs clenching with each glide. Her eyes travel back up to her girlfriend’s face, noticing heavy eyelids hiding blue eyes and the way her girlfriend’s bites her bottom lip. Catra finally follows through with Adora’s request, lips kissing warm skin. Now, she can feel the rise and fall of her stomach with her breaths and the muscles’ movements underneath her lips. She kisses up and down, licking sometimes and biting other times. The bites are what makes Adora let out another beautiful moan. She extends her claws too, letting them slowly drag down the skin. Adora whimpers again and underneath her, Catra can feel the wonderful clench of Adora’s thighs and see the ripple of her abs.

“You’re so strong,” the feline purrs. She slides her claws down again before kissing the marks she’s left. “So perfect. So damn perfect, Adora.” 

Adora grips onto one of Catra’s hands with a smile. Catra goes back to her kissing, sliding slower and slower. She slides her body lower and lower too, until she meets the top of her girlfriend’s pants. 

“Please,” Adora begs, fully letting herself fall into submission. 

“A bit longer. Let me appreciate you.” Adora groans but doesn’t fight it. “Good girl,” Catra praises, loving the way she can feel Adora’s thighs clench under her. 

Catra sits up and begins to pull her girl’s shirt off. Adora sits up, helping her. Then Adora goes to take off her bra, but pauses, looking for Catra’s approval. She gives her permission, motioning for Adora to lift it up. Quickly, Adora tosses it away. It makes a small thump on the floor. With that, Adora grabs her girlfriend’s face for a bruising kiss. Catra moans this time, muffled by Adora’s mouth. 

“Fuck,” Adora pants when they pull away. Catra just smirks.

She gently pushes Adora back down and kisses her way back down to Adora’s chest. Kisses are peppered across her jawline, her neck, collarbones, down to the center of her chest. She nuzzles into the space for a moment; Adora feeling the rumble of her purr against her skin. She sighs at the feeling, rubbing behind one of Catra’s ears. 

“Color?” Catra checks in, knowing in emotional and tough times like this, Adora can get overwhelmed. Even the positive emotions can be too much, Adora often feeling like she doesn’t deserve them. Catra will prove this otherwise this afternoon.

“Green,” she replies with a giggle that makes her lover’s heart race.

“Good girl,” she praises.

The feline sits back up and the blonde’s hand falls back to the bed, quickly going to grip their bedsheets. Without her shirt, Catra can see the way her biceps flex. She licks her lips hungrily. Her gaze returns to Adora’s chest, her nipples hard and pink, like a lotus. Her chest bounces with her breathing. Seeing her all vulnerable like this, vulnerable for Catra, it’s precious. Catra does her best to memorize all the details she’s taking in.

“Beautiful,” Catra whispers before trapping a bud between her lips. Adora lets out a moan, gripping on the sheets tighter.

“Catr-ah,” she whimpers, her voice cracking. 

Catra tweaks the other before cupping the entire breast, feeling its weight in her hands, before switching. Latching on with her mouth and pinching the other. Adora lifts her chest automatically for Catra, leaning into the touch. The feline can smell Adora’s arousal, motivating her to keep going, to keep coaxing these gorgeous noises out of her.

“Gorgeous,” Catra mumbles when she lifts her head up. “Perfect,” she repeats, eyes tracing the marks she’s left. Their eyes meet again and Catra arches an eyebrow. “Ready for more?” she teases.

“Yes, please,” the blonde begs.

So, Catra listens. She’s still a tease about it though. Lowering her pants slowly. Down past her thighs. Past her knees. To her calves. Gliding down her legs. Slowly. They arrive at her ankles before finally dropping to the floor. Catra studies her girlfriend, almost completely bare in front of her. She’s soaked, Catra can see it through her underwear. Her face is flushed. Marks cover her beautiful body; claw marks to hickeys. Her chest and stomach bounce with each breath. Her lips are swollen from kissing. 

Adora experiences the same thing. She’s on a high. There’s nothing else in the world except for her and Catra, and she loves it so godsdamn much. Catra isn’t even undressed, but gods, she’s stunning. She can see how toned her arms have become, the way her tongue flicks out to wet her wonderful lips, and a red flush on freckled cheeks. 

She’s quickly ripped from her thoughts when her girlfriend’s rough tongue caresses her through her underwear, making her arch her back and whimper. She’s desperate for more. Catra hums, pleased at the reaction. Instead of slowly guiding her underwear down, she makes eye contact with Adora and slashes them with her claws. The blonde whimpers again, loving how strong her girlfriend is, how dangerous she can be, but how gentle and careful she is with Adora. The feline dips her head down between her love’s legs, licking up the length of her. She can taste her through the fabric. Her mouth waters, tongue aching to taste her fully. Her blonde grips the sheets like a lifeline, fingers turning white.

“Shit,” she whimpers.

Catra then sits up, making Adora pout at her. She giggles, a wonderful squeaky sound. She points to the blindfold next to Adora’s head. “You ready for that? Or we can do it some other day.”

“Put it on. I want to lose myself in you,” Adora manages weakly. 

Catra, once again, listens to her girlfriend. Adora lifts her head and Catra ties the cloth. She checks in, making sure it’s not too loose and not too tight, and once all is well, she goes back to her task.

She starts from the top, kissing Adora’s forehead. She lets her purr fill the air. “Don’t think about anything else. It’s just you and me, got it?”

Adora doesn't like her eyes being covered. Her body is so used to being ready for battle, being vulnerable like this was unimaginable. Weak. Scary. But hearing Catra’s purr and her gentle words reminds her she’s safe. “Mhmm,” Adora hums.

She kisses Adora’s cheeks. She meets her mouth once again. The kiss is rougher than before, Adora being much more pent up, and that perfectly fine for Catra. She puts the same amount of energy in. Tongues clash. Catra nips at Adora’s lip before sinking lower. She kisses that sharp jawline and leaves one last mark on her neck, before kissing the agitated skin. She goes lower, once again, latching onto each nipple while tweaking and twisting the other. She kisses down the middle of her girlfriend’s body, lips against hard muscle, abs clenching underneath her touch. She whispers her praises, her appreciation for her girlfriend’s body. She kisses each scar on her stomach, internally frowning at the ones she knows she’s left. Then, she finally makes it to Adora’s thighs, gently sinking her teeth into Adora’s left one. The woman cries out at the feeling, tensing the muscle. Catra kisses each thigh before taking her girlfriend’s underwear off. Finally, Catra finds that sweet spot. 

Adora bucks her hips at the sensation, not expecting it with the blindfold on. She can completely feel her rough tongue now and it feels wonderful. The ache gets worse. The heat builds. Catra continues to explore, ignoring her clit at the moment, but gods, it feels good anyway. Catra is teasing her, getting her all pent up, but Adora can’t care. The feline’s tongue finally glides inside, making Adora moan.

“Yesss,” she hisses.

She’s soaking and Catra is lapping it up as if she’s starving. She swears, without her vision, she can feel it ten times more. Maybe it’s because she’s so pent up, so ready; she honestly doesn’t know. Catra lifts her head a little and finally, licks her clit. She moans, her thighs trapping the feline’s head right where she is, but she wasn’t planning on leaving anyway. She sucks on the bud, giving it the attention Adora needs and deserves. Adora’s voice gets louder and louder. It’s slightly muffled since she’s trapped between two lovely thighs, but it’s beautiful nonetheless.

Catra loves the feeling and the way Adora is quickly unwinding all because of her. She dips back down, tongue entering her girlfriend again. Her hand reaches for her clit, her thumb rubbing it in circles. Her tongue thrusts in time with her thumb, making Adora really lose it. Her eyes squeeze shut underneath the blindfold. She’s left, panting and moaning. The heat between her legs builds. She gets closer and closer to that peak. 

She barely manages to speak, “Ca-Catraa… Fu… Fu…Fuck.” Catra continues, picking up her pace as Adora continues to try to get words out. She rocks her hips and Catra lets her, following her lead. “Shit,” Adora lets out one last time before her body tenses, from her thighs to her abs. Her hands cling to the sheets desperately as she comes with a cry. 

Catra feels her convulse around her tongue, clenching and unclenching. Walls fluttering around her. Catra moans inside her, making Adora’s hips lift up. Her slick runs down Catra’s chin and Catra continues to fuck her, trying to get her to orgasm for a second time. They haven’t had sex in days and Catra hasn’t topped in a few weeks, so she’s going to make the most of it. She continues, though it’s difficult with Adora’s writhing. So, she grips onto Adora’s thighs and for her girlfriend’s pleasure, lets her claws sink in a little.

“Shitshitshit,” Adora swears, the words practically combining into one. Her breathing is ragged.

Catra continues, hearing her girlfriend lose the ability to speak. Her moans get higher and higher pitched. Her chin is drenched and she basks in it. All she can think and feel is Adora, Adora, Adora. 

Quickly, Adora reaches that peak again and Catra slows down her movements, helping her girlfriend come down. Though, if her girlfriend needs another round, she will gladly give it to her. After a minute, Catra pulls away, licking her lips. Adora pants. Her hands loosen on their grip on the sheets.

“Gods,” she whispers and Catra giggles. She rests her head on Adora’s stomach, her purr roaring like an engine. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. You deserve it, baby,” Catra replies, kissing her stomach. 

Adora doesn’t reply but she doesn’t deny it. Progress. 

“How do you feel? Do you need the blindfold off? Or another round?” 

“Great, and yeah, I could go another round. Just gimme a sec,” her blonde replies with a grin. “And I’d also like to return the favor…”

“This is about you,” she points out.

“Yeah, and I love taking care of you.” If she didn’t have the blindfold one, Catra is sure she’d be given her the puppy eyes. She rolls her own at that. “Please?”

Catra chuckles. “Alright, you’ll get a turn, princess.”

Adora reaches out, burying her fingers in Catra’s curls. Her nails reach her scalp, scratching just how her girlfriend likes it, earning a louder purr. Catra studies her girlfriend with heavy-lidded eyes. Her chest is rising and falling, getting slower and slower with each second post orgasm. Her reddened, agitated lips form a small, content smile.

She kisses her girlfriend’s body, not moving her head much so her girlfriend can continue to stroke her hair. She whispers more praises, bringing her hands at her girlfriend’s sides to rub circles.

“Catra, I think I’m ready for round two,” the blonde says shyly before biting her lip.

“Mm,” her brunette hums. “You ready for my fingers, princess?”

Adora whines. “Yes.”

Catra listens, lifting herself up and moving her face back down between Adora’s lips. She flicks her tongue against her clit before kissing her center. She sits back and circles her finger around her girlfriend’s entrance. Adora moves her hips a little, her breath picking up. 

“Catra, please.”

“What do you want?” she asks gently, her husky voice sweet like candy. One hand grips the princess’ hip, halting her movements.

“Inside, please.”

“Good girl, telling me what you want.” She slowly slides her finger in, still gripping her girlfriend’s hip, but it’s more a soothing presence than anything. The blonde gives a relieved sigh before her partner starts pumping in and out. “You deserve it, babe. You deserve the world.” She pumps faster before pulling out, adding another finger Adora is more than ready for. There’s a bit of a stretch, but the tiny bit of pain she feels is delicious.

The blonde’s breathing picks up, becoming more and more ragged. She swears she’s in heaven and she doesn’t want to fall back down.

“So pretty, princess, all wrecked because of me,” Catra purrs, always being a bit better at dirty talk than Adora. 

“All...for you,” she replies, moaning in between the words. “Please, more.” She begs before the magicat obliges, adding another finger. And the stretch that comes with that finger is even more delicious. Adora swears she stops breathing for a second. 

“You like that?” Catra teases.

“Yes,” Adora barely manages.

Catra leans back down to swirl her tongue around her girlfriend’s clit, before latching on. Adora is left writhing and crying out, “Fuck, shit, I… lo-ove you! Catraaa!” Her words become less and less understandable with every second, every pump, every moment with that mouth on her clit.

She lasts about two minutes after that. She comes silently, all her muscles tending again. Her back arches and one of her hands grips Catra’s head, keeping her there to work her through her orgasm. 

Once Adora stops twitching, Catra crawls back up her girlfriend. She kisses her, letting her taste herself. The princess moans at the taste before pulling away. “You're next,” she whispers.

“Okay, princess.” She giggles.

****

After another hour, the two are done. The blindfold sits on the nightstand next to them. They’re curled up on the dry side of the bed, lying on top of the sheets. Catra’s purrs fill the quiet room. She’s napping on Adora’s chest, her head moving slightly with each rise and fall of her girlfriend’s chest. The princess has an arm wrapped around her partner and said partner’s tail is coiled around that arm’s wrist.

Adora, on the other hand, is awake, though barely. She’s drained after that. Her thoughts don’t race like they usually do, but she’s still taking everything in. The new experience. Catra’s words. And finally, she takes in the way she feels within her own body. Ever since she woke up, she’s been feeling a little out of it, because she’s in her head too much or her body feels like it isn’t hers. The blindfold stripped away her vision and with Catra’s words and touches, she had lost herself in that moment. In Catra. In her own body. Ever since, she feels like her body is hers again. She lifts her hand up, wiggling her fingers and watching as her body follows her orders. 

She plans to work on this issue more, especially since she’ll be starting therapy very soon, but in this moment, this issue has left her. Her body is hers. She doesn’t feel like a vessel. She just feels like Adora. 

Her confidence has also been boosted. Admittedly, she can have an ego at times and push ahead without thinking, but there’s always been that insecurity. That she’s useless. That she’s weak or not good enough. That all she is is a vessel. That without She-Ra she’d be nothing. Catra disproves this daily with her love for Adora, spanning before they knew She-Ra existed.

She kisses the top of Catra’s head. “Thank you,” she whispers again. Her free hand glides down Catra’s back and rubs it slowly, accidentally waking her. “Ah, sorry,” she apologizes.

“It’s fine,” she mumbles. “So, how was it?”

“Amazing. World changing,” Adora gushes with reddened cheeks, making the magicat laugh. Her breath hits Adora’s bare chest.

“And you deserved every second of it, baby.”

“Maybe…” Adora stares up at the ceiling.

“At least you’re not denying it,” Catra huffs, before groaning. “We should probably get up and take a bath before dinner.”

“A bath?” They’ve taken baths together but Catra’s never suggested it.

“Yeah, I want you to hold me. And we need to get clean.”

“Of course!” Adora says, a little too loudly, making Catra chuckle. 

“Ugh, I’m barely awake. Can you start the bath?”

“Sure,” Adora replies, sliding out from underneath her girlfriend. She yawns and stretches, feeling how relaxed her body is. Maybe this break won’t be so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> hey, if you made it this far, thanks for reading! i’ll be aiming for weekly updates for now, they may increase at some point, but i’ll probably take a break for christmas.
> 
> i think this work might be part of a series. i have lots of ideas. this work itself is going to differ a lot from “Healing.” hopefully you like it so far.
> 
> i think i’m going to write smut for this too, so let me know if you want just one chapter or multiple. leave suggestions down below.
> 
> comments and criticism are always appreciated. thank you! see you in the next one!


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